Mission

Our mission is to measurably improve the lives of children and families in Alabama through child care leadership development, advocacy, and community organizing and training.

FOCAL believes in the dignity, value and worth of every individual and that every individual is entitled to pursue and enjoy the full range of human rights. We believe that in this world of abundance, there is enough for everyone. We value cooperation in place of competition and power with rather than power over.

What We Do

FOCAL’s history, experience, relationships, and independent voice strategically position it to engage and mobilize communities by confronting both oppressive systems and policies and internalized attitudes that promote and maintain these systems.

In addition to developing individual leaders, FOCAL organizes coalitions, provides training and technical assistance to other groups, assists in building capacity of other organizations to advocate on their respective issues, and conveys messages and tools of hope and possibility.

FOCAL is committed to harnessing the collective abilities and efforts of others who are determined to raise the voices of families.

Our current programs and activities include: Child Care training, technical assistance, advocacy, organizing and leadership development; Community Development using two reliable processes created by FOCAL: CATCH (Communities Act to Create Hope) and MCTT (More is Caught Than Taught); Dismantling racism through our Raising the Curtain on Race series; Civic Engagement; Southern Rural Black Women's Initiative; Alabama Organizing Project and the Alabama Child Care Alliance.