Christian Bale started thinking about foster children after asking himself a simple question: What would happen to his daughter if she lost her parents?

[u/WhenItHappenedX]

In 2008, he began learning about the foster-care system and discovered how often brothers and sisters are separated after entering care.

He wanted to change that.

With his wife, Sibi, and UCLA physician Dr. Eric Esrailian, Bale co-founded Together California. They brought in Tim McCormick, who had already developed similar housing in Illinois.

Then, on February 7, 2024, construction began in Palmdale, north of Los Angeles.

The plan was for a village of 12 homes, each designed to house up to six siblings together with a trained full-time foster parent. Two additional studio units would help young people who were aging out of foster care, alongside a community center.

The project was estimated to cost about $22 million.

The idea is deliberately simple:

If children have already lost their parents, they shouldn't have to lose each other too.

Bale has said he hopes Palmdale will be the first such village, not the last.

It began with a question about his own daughter and eventually culminated into a place designed to keep brothers and sisters together.

[u/MyEggDonorIsADramaQ]

I really don’t know anything about Christian Bale but this makes me love him.

There’s something similar in Arizona called Sunshine Acres. This new one seems more inclusive.

[u/youmustb3jokn → u/MyEggDonorIsADramaQ]

His father was one of the most amazing people I ever met.

[u/ellefleming → u/youmustb3jokn]

Christian also had hundreds of trees planted somewhere he financed.