Agape was founded in 1977 in Montgomery, and began operation in 1978, as a “licensed child-placing agency”, which meant that it was licensed by Alabama to provide foster care and adoption services.  Agape began serving in the Montgomery area, then later expanded to the Birmingham, Wiregrass and Mobile areas over the next 15 years.

The agency’s mission statement reads:  As a ministry of Jesus Christ, Agape is devoted to providing, preserving and protecting families so every child will have a safe and nurturing environment in which to grow.

 This mission has led Christians through Agape to serve more than 2000 children through foster care, and more than 250 children through the permanency of a Christian adoptive family.  Hundreds of pregnant women in crisis have been counseled by Agape staff to choose life for their unborn child, and to make the best choice for their future and the baby’s future.  With counseling having been added during the late 1980’s, thousands of lives have been touched in His name through this service.

Agape is a non-profit agency whose staff and board are all faithful Christians.  There are currently 16 staff members, located in Montgomery, Birmingham, Enterprise and Daphne.  The large majority of Agape’s funding is provided through donations from churches and individual Christians, with no client ever being turned away because of their inability to pay for a service.

Agape maintains positive and supportive relationships with the Alabama Department of Human Resources and other professional agencies serving children and families.  The only real limit on Agape’s ability to serve is the number of churches and individual Christians who step forward to involve themselves in the lives of the hurting children, the vulnerable young women who are pregnant, and the burdened families.