RESIDENTIAL CARE
When home is uncertain, hope moves in.
Christ-centered. Family-style. Steady.
Across North Carolina, our cottage homes are more than care. They are Christ-centered environments where children find safety, healing begins, and lives are shaped for eternity.
A PLACE TO BELONG
When children cannot safely remain at home, they need more than structure. They need love.
COTTAGE HOMES ROOTED IN PURPOSE
Designed to feel like home.
Our residential foster care ministry provides family-style cottage homes for children and teens who need structured, support in a stable environment. Each cottage is designed to reflect the consistency and care of a healthy home, where routines are established, education is supported, and spiritual growth is encouraged.
We pursue excellence in everything we do because every child deserves thoughtful, intentional care.
what we provide:
But residential care is not simply about meeting physical needs. It is about restoring dignity, building trust, and pointing children to the hope found in Christ.
how placement works –
Two pathways home.
When a child cannot safely stay at home, BCH offers two kinds of care. Here is how each one works, and where both are headed.
A child enters county DSS custody. DSS makes the placement decision.
Home-based foster care
A licensed BCH family raises the child in their own household.- One household, one steady bondThe child attaches to the same caregivers day after day.
- Rooted in a communitySchool, neighborhood, and church stay constant.
- The church is close at handThe family’s own congregation shows up in person.
- A short path to permanenceFamilies often support reunification, or adopt.
Residential care in a BCH home
Cottage parents raise a household of children in a BCH-owned home.- Siblings stay togetherLarge sibling groups are placed in one home.
- Cottage parents on siteTrained missionaries serve as consistent adults.
- Structure that steadiesPredictable routines and on-site staff support.
- Room to stay and growStability after repeated moves, through the teen years.
Where both pathways lead
- Reunification
- Kinship permanence
- Adoption
- Prepared for adulthood
In every home and along every pathway, children hear and see the gospel.
The local church surrounds both pathways: prayer, gospel-centered trauma-informed training, and wraparound care.
a calling, not a job
We believe cottage parents are missionaries.
Children in residential care need more than supervision. They need steady, Christ-centered adults who are willing to invest daily in their lives.
they
Model patience.
Teach responsibility.
Disciple through everyday moments.
Create stability where there has been chaos.
Reflect the love of Christ in both joy and difficulty.
What does a cottage parent do?
We need couples who…
Gospel-Centered Trauma-Informed Training
If God is calling you to be a missionary, let’s talk.
If you feel drawn to serve children through residential ministry, we invite you to explore this calling further.
EVERYONE CAN DO SOMETHING
Frequently Asked Questions
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families…” — Psalm 68:5-6
A child somewhere is waiting for someone to say YES!
Every day, ordinary love writes extraordinary stories. God can use you to write the next story. Reach out to BCH to take the first step.