Across the United States
When most people think about foster parenting, they think about providing a safe home, helping children heal from trauma, and navigating the complexities of the child welfare system. While all of these are essential, there is another powerful tool that is often overlooked: nutrition.
This year, the State of Alabama has taken an important step by requiring foster parents to complete training on nutrition. To help meet this requirement, Alabama has directed foster parents to the Chaplain Ted Network’s course, More Than a Meal: The Power of Nutrition in Parenting.
We are honored to share that more than 300 foster parents across Alabama have completed the training this year.
Why does nutrition matter so much? Research continues to demonstrate the connection between food, brain development, emotional regulation, attention, sleep, and overall behavior. For children who have experienced trauma, neglect, or instability, proper nutrition can play an important role in supporting healing and resilience.
One foster parent who completed the course shared how the training has impacted his family:
“My wife and I have now been certified foster parents in Alabama for the last six years. We mainly do respite care, but we have had a full-time placement of two little brothers. This was a very educational course on feeding children in our home. We also have a 4½-year-old son who is hilarious and will already tell people offering him treats that he is not allowed to eat them because they have dyes and too much sugar in them. Sometimes I feel like we’ve created a monster, but I’m also very proud that he has listened to mainly his mother regarding health tips.”
— Joe, Salem, Alabama
Joe’s story reminds us that healthy habits don’t just impact foster children. They influence entire families. Children are paying attention, listening, and learning from the choices we make every day.
At the Chaplain Ted Network, our goal is to equip foster and adoptive families with practical tools that strengthen homes and increase stability for children. Nutrition is not simply about what is on the plate. It is about creating an environment where children can thrive physically, emotionally, and mentally.
We are grateful for Alabama’s commitment to supporting foster families and for every foster parent who has invested their time in learning how nutrition can become another tool in their parenting toolbox.
Together, we are proving that a meal can be more than just food—it can be an opportunity for healing, growth, and connection.
To learn more about the course, visit the Chaplain Ted Network and explore More Than a Meal: The Power of Nutrition in Parenting.