OUR MISSION
A Family For Every Child is dedicated to finding loving, permanent families for every waiting foster child.
A Family For Every Child (AFFEC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to finding permanent, loving adoptive homes for waiting foster children, focusing on those who the Oregon foster care system considers “hard to place.” The children who fall into this category are usually older, ethnically diverse, part of a sibling group, or have severe physical, emotional and/or developmental challenges. AFFEC was formed in 2006 through the vision of its founder and Executive Director, Christy Obie-Barrett, along with dozens of dedicated volunteers and has grown to include identifying and reconnecting lost family members with foster children at-risk.
A Family For Every Child (AFFEC), began with its founder Christy Obie-Barrett, a mother of 12 children – 9 of which are adopted. Christy wanted to make a difference in the lives of more children and found a way through non profits. In January 2006, AFFEC was created to help find permanent homes for many of Oregon’s waiting children with special focus on special needs/hard to place children.
In April, Christy’s friend, Andrea Kingsley Rippee, joined and helped create and introduce several new programs. The first of these programs was the Heart Gallery of Lane County. This program partners with area businesses to showcase a waiting child with their photo and short biography where their clientele can see them. Our first Heart Gallery partner was the 5th Street Public Market. We owe much to them in their willingness to help get this highly successful program off and running.