The Crisis
Nearly 400,000 children are in foster care on any given day.
The system is overwhelmed—more children are entering than kinship caregivers, foster families, or group homes can support. At the heart of this crisis, fatherlessness plays a significant role: over 18 million children in the U.S. live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in the home.
- Risk of Being Unadopted. More than 20,000 youth “age out” of foster care each year without reunification or adoption—over 1,200 in Texas
- Risk of Homelessness. Over 20% of teens who age out become homeless immediately.
- Risk of Falling Behind in Education. Only 69% of foster youth earn a high school diploma by age 21.
- Risk of Incarceration. 36% of youth transitioning out of foster care were incarcerated by age 17.
- Risk of Ongoing Harm. Without a loving home, at-risk youth face a higher likelihood of trauma, abuse, neglect, and lifelong hardship.
Children are hurting both inside and outside the child welfare system. They are all around us. They are our neighbors.
Scripture calls us to respond: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…” (James 1:27).
From Burden to Hope
Burdens were never meant to be carried alone.
When a young person is surrounded with support, burdens lift and hope begins to rise. Mentorship, community, and care reveal that their story is not finished.
Together, we help youth step out of survival and into a future full of hope.
Together, we are hope.
What Youth Need to Thrive
Jesus commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Luke 10:27). And James reminds us that true faith is lived out when we care for the fatherless in their distress (James 1:27). For Empower 7, that means coming alongside young neighbors who are navigating life without the stability of family — foster teens, aged-out youth, unaccompanied and homeless youth, and those at risk of entering the child welfare system.
- Stability – Safe, consistent, nurturing environments and essential care.
- Restoration – Trauma-informed counseling to heal and break generational cycles.
- Development – Life skills, education support, and career readiness for a bright future.
- Connection – Healthy relationships with mentors, friends, and family (foster/adoptive/biological).
- Purpose – Guidance to discover God-given gifts and pursue meaningful goals.
- Jesus – A personal relationship with Jesus Christ – unconditional love and grace for life’s journey.
Standing in the Gap for Vulnerable Youth
Hope isn’t complicated.
It looks like someone stepping into the story. Vulnerable youth across North Texas are longing for stability, guidance, and someone who won’t give up on them. When caring neighbors step in, everything can change.
Why – Behind every statistic is a young person without the stable foundation of family, faith, and hope. Many grow up fatherless and, when they leave foster care, face adulthood alone—often without housing, education, or support. Empower 7 steps into this gap with community, mentorship, and Christ-centered care so youth can become thriving adults.
Who – We serve vulnerable youth (ages 13-24) in North Texas – foster teens, aged-out youth, unaccompanied and homeless youth, and those at risk of entering the child welfare system. While we serve both boys and girls, our particular burden is for boys. We believe God designed men to be protectors, providers, and spiritual leaders of the family. By investing in young men, we can help restore families for generations.
What – Through a continuum of care—Blessings, Growth, and Launch—supported by wraparound initiatives like Neighborhood Watch and RootedPath, youth find belonging, healing, mentorship, and the practical tools needed to transition into adulthood with confidence. The future Empower 7 Ranch will serve as a Christ-centered home where vulnerable youth experience safety, stability, and long-term support as they discover the purpose God has for their lives.
Where – The future Empower 7 Ranch will be located on a serene multi-acre property in North Texas and will be a beacon of hope where youth are surrounded by love, experience restoration, and build a future filled with promise.
Partner with us to be a light in the darkness. Every gift of prayer, time, and treasure helps empower youth in need.
Together We Are Lighting Their Way to a Brighter Future
Our vision is for every youth to flourish with hope, live with purpose, pursue the future God has planned for them, and shine as lights in the world. Empower 7 walks with vulnerable youth today through care, mentoring, and practical support — while building toward the Empower 7 Ranch: a Christ-centered residential community where at-risk youth will find safety, healing, and hope.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
