Christian Bale has announced his plans to build a one-of-a-kind complex that will help keep siblings in the foster care system together and, ideally, under the same roof in California. (Kinda like he did in The Dark Knight Rises.)
In addition to the 12 foster homes, the facility will also have two studio apartments to help kids transition into independent living and a 7,000 square foot community center.
“Imagine the absolute pain and the trauma of losing your parents or being torn from your parents, and then losing your brothers and sisters on top of that. That’s no way to treat kids. And so, we will be the hub for that. I hope that this village will be the first of many, and I hope that people, Californians and Angelenos, know to come join us in opening our eyes to what’s happening right under our noses. These are our children, and we must help our children,” Bale said.
Bale has been involved in a variety of nonprofits that advocate for better care for foster children since the birth of his daughter, Emmeline, in 2005.
“I found myself trying to imagine what it would be like if we weren’t around. At the same time, I was doing all-night searches for what was going on in LA proper and where we could help,” he said.
“I was stunned and mad to learn that we have more foster kids here than anywhere else in the country. I was also kicking myself for not knowing that before so I thought, ‘Well, this is it. Let’s focus on this.’ My wife and I decided that we were going to do everything we could in our power to change that,” he continued.
The village, located 60 miles north of Los Angeles, will be the first of its kind in the state. Currently, there are 60,000 foster care children living in California.
Bale’s nonprofit organization Together California is overseeing the development, which has an estimated cost of $22 million and will be completed in 2025.
