Alabama Department of Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention

09/14/2026

💙 Meet a Grantee Monday 💙

We're excited to highlight one of our grantees and the meaningful impact they're making in their community!

Alabama’s Parenting Assistance Line (PAL), housed at Child Development Resources at the University of Alabama, has been a Children’s Trust Fund grantee for 19 years. PAL provides free, confidential support and resources to parents, parents-to-be, grandparents, babysitters, aunties and uncles, neighbors, friends, teachers, and other caregivers across Alabama.

PAL’s trained family resource specialists provide a sympathetic ear, parenting advice, and connections to resources for a variety of parenting challenges. Whether a caregiver needs support navigating a difficult situation or help finding resources in their community, PAL is here to help.

PAL also offers PAL by Text, a free service for anyone who cares for a child. Simply text “PAL” to 274448 to receive parenting tips, trusted information, and notices about family-friendly events and resources in your area. Parenting tips are tailored to children from pregnancy through age 11, while community event and resource information is available for families with children from birth through age 18.

PAL’s confidential phone, text, and online services are available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and messages can be left anytime. After hours, caregivers can leave a question and a parenting resource specialist will follow up.

Since 2007, PAL has helped thousands of parents, grandparents, and other caregivers become more confident in nurturing children. Most of all, PAL is free, confidential, and available to families across Alabama.

📞 Call or text: 1-866-962-3030
💬 Chat or learn more: pal.ua.edu
📧 Email: [email protected]

We’re honored to support the important work our grantees are doing to strengthen families and communities across Alabama!

09/11/2026

Today, we remember and honor the lives lost on September 11, 2001, and recognize the courage and sacrifice of the first responders, service members, and everyday Americans who came together in the aftermath. We will never forget. ❤️🤍💙

09/10/2026

🩵 Faces of Prevention 🩵

Meet David Cochran, Executive Director of MAXimizing Mental Health (MMH) and one of the many dedicated individuals working to support children and families across Alabama.

David’s work with MAXimizing Mental Health is deeply personal. After losing his son, Max, to su***de in 2018, David helped establish MMH in Max’s memory in 2019. He turned an unimaginable loss into a mission to help other children, individuals, and families access the mental health support they need.

For the past seven years, David has worked to connect people with counseling and other behavioral health services, help families navigate systems that can feel overwhelming, and remove financial barriers that may prevent someone from getting care. He understands that when someone is struggling, they need more than a phone number or referral. They need someone willing to help them find the next step.

Under David’s leadership, MAXimizing Mental Health has helped provide and coordinate more than 4,600 free counseling sessions for children, adolescents, adults, and families. Each session represents an opportunity for someone to receive support, find hope, and know they don’t have to face their struggles alone.

David’s impact goes beyond the numbers. Through education, advocacy, resource navigation, and continued support, he works to make sure children and families experiencing mental health challenges are seen, supported, and connected to care.

When asked to describe David in one word, his team chose “selfless.”

Thank you, David, for being a Face of Prevention!

09/10/2026

09/08/2026

09/08/2026

Join us on September 30th at 11am for this month's Prevention Talks Zoom. Our speaker & Family Success Center's very own, Tracy Bailey, LMSW, will be speaking on Vicarious Trauma: Learning to Overcome Burnout & Anxiety as Providers. This is a free event. One free CEU will be earned for Social Workers & Nursing Professionals. Please get your tickets at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/family-success-centers-september-zoom-tickets-2000190331124?aff=oddtdtcreator
Alabama Department of Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention

09/08/2026

💙 As students returned to school last month, The Barrie Center had the opportunity to visit several Etowah County Schools to provide mandatory reporter training to school employees.

We are grateful to the educators and staff who took the time to learn more about recognizing the signs of child abuse, understanding their responsibilities as mandatory reporters and knowing how to respond when a child may be experiencing abuse or neglect. Every school employee has an important role in helping protect children.

A special thank you to Glencoe Elementary School, Glencoe Middle School, Glencoe High School, Whitesboro Elementary School, Carlisle Elementary School and Duck Springs Elementary for welcoming us and partnering with The Barrie Center.

We appreciate your commitment to creating safe environments where children can learn, grow and thrive. Together, we can continue promoting hope, healing and justice for children throughout Etowah County. 💙 Alabama Department of Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention

09/08/2026

💙Three Years of Making a Difference Through Grandma Stork💙

We are incredibly grateful to the Alabama Department of Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention for awarding us a grant for the third consecutive year to support our Grandma Stork Program! 👶🩷

Since last October their continued investment in this program has allowed us to walk alongside 54 moms and their families, providing not only essential baby items, but something just as important — support, encouragement, and someone to lean on.💕

Through Grandma Stork, we have been able to provide items such as:

🍼 Car seats
👶 Diapers & wipes
🤱 Breast pumps
⛽ Gas vouchers
🪑 Bouncy seats
🧸 Blankets & baby lotions
🍼 Bottles & formula
🛏️ Baby beds & mattresses
🎒 Diaper bags
📹 Baby monitors
🛌 Pack 'n Plays
…and so much more!

But beyond the things we can put in a bag, we provide emotional support, encouragement, and a listening ear to moms who may simply need to know they aren't alone. ❤️

For three years, the Alabama Department of Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention has believed in the mission of Grandma Stork and helped us make a real difference in the lives of local families.

Three years of support. 81 moms. Countless babies. One incredible partnership. 💙

Thank you for believing in Grandma Stork and helping us continue this important work in our community! 🩷

09/08/2026