Homes and hope for children.
At D.A. Blodgett – St. John’s, we are passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and families in West Michigan. We are inclusive and welcoming to all. Through comprehensive services, including foster care, adoption, counseling, psychiatric, and youth programs, DABSJ provides compassionate support to create brighter futures for those in need.
There for the children and families who need us. Our commitment to children remains as steadfast as it was back in 1887. As a DABSJ supporter, you are part of the vital work of keeping kids safe and helping families thrive. When people in our community need help, it is our community (you!) who steps up to meet those needs. Together, we can provide homes and hope for children.
Our Mission
To help children and empower families by providing safety, advocacy, and support.
We believe children are our future, and families are our community’s strength. We come alongside them during some of the most difficult challenges life can bring. Through helping children and families, we build brighter futures for all.
The Continuum of Care
There for those who need us, in the way they need us
All children deserve to be safe and loved, and all families deserve to be supported. The way that happens can vary depending on what a child or family is facing. Our programming today is built on our core belief, backed by research, that as long as children can be safe, they do best when they are with their families.
Family Preservation &
Behavioral Health
In many cases, we can keep a child safe and with their family by providing support to them at home or school. Family Preservation Services are rooted in best practices for supporting children who have experienced things like chronic trauma, been involved in the justice systems, as well as families of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and severe mental health diagnoses.
Foster Care & Adoption
When home is unsafe for children, DABSJ comes alongside families with our foster care programming. We prioritize finding relatives who can provide a secure environment for the child. If no relatives are available, we have amazing community foster homes with families who unconditionally love and care for our children. Our primary goal in foster care is family reunification. If reunification is not possible, we provide support for families through adoption.
Residential Treatment
Sometimes, for a number of reasons, being in a home may be too much for a child. Our Residential Treatment supports youth who struggle to be safe at home. While living on the DABSJ campus in a home-like environment, kids have an individualized, intensive plan that focuses on them going to school and other activities out in the community so they can build coping tools and skills for when they successfully move on.
Looking for help?
We are here to help you
Explore a range of counseling, support, and specialized services for families facing challenges, developmental disabilities, foster care, and reunification.
- Are you a family looking for counseling or support?
- Does your child live with developmental disability?
- Are you a foster parent, relative caregiver, adoptive parent, or providing kinship care?
- Are you a parent whose children are in foster care and you’re working toward reunification?
- Are you interested in help becoming a foster parent?
- Are you looking for psychiatric care for someone under age 20?
Kids need us. That’s why we need you.
You can be part of DABSJ
Community support makes us who we are. Whether it’s donors filling our halls with presents for our children each holiday season, a company volunteering as a team, volunteers collecting clothes and essentials for children in foster care, families passing down a legacy of supporting DABSJ from generation to generation, or a person clicking ‘Give Now’ to make their first-ever gift. Each individual is part of a larger movement to provide homes and hope to children in West Michigan.
Donate
An investment in children is an investment into the future of our community! When you give to DABSJ, you're investing in homes and hope for all kids and help for families who need it most.
Volunteer
DABSJ could not exist without the unwavering support of volunteers. These gifts of time create a future of hope for thousands of children. We couldn’t do what we do without volunteers!
Careers
Looking to make a difference in your career? Join us at DABSJ – a team dedicated to creating better futures for children and families!
Join Us
Join us at one of our events and be part of the life-changing work of DABSJ!
September 2026
October 2026
November 2026
The Callihan Family
Foster & Adoption Story
DABSJ wants the best for every child we serve, which is an outlook epitomized by one of our foster and adoptive families, the Callihans. Doug and Becky Callihan have been fostering with DABSJ since 2010. They have four biological children, and over the past nine years have adopted six of their foster children.
Inclusive Families
Inclusion Matters
DABSJ is inclusive and welcoming. We aim to be a safe place for all: our team members, the children we serve, and the families we work with. It’s the only way to be there for those who need us in the way they need us. You could play a part in providing homes and hope for all children.
Stories & News
30th Annual David Samrick Golf for Kids Raises More Than $376,000 for Children and Families
The Impact of Foster Care: A Lifetime of Showing Up
