About Fostering Connections
Our Story
We started out in 2016 as a grassroots effort of foster and adoptive families in North Alabama caring for one another through what was initially known as the “clothing closet” and a foster/adoptive support group.
As word got out, folks outside the foster/adopt community got involved and we embraced kinship families. Kinship care refers to the care of children by relatives.
After a few years, we expanded our efforts to meet the holistic needs of children as well as the needs of their caregivers. We began to seek out creative ways to help kids be kids. This expanded mission was housed under our new organization, Fostering Connections.
We registered Fostering Connections as a 501(c)(3) in 2019. The North Alabama Foster Closet is now an initiative under Fostering Connections
Our Mission
To provide support and resources for foster, adoptive, and kinship families in North Alabama and surrounding areas who care for vulnerable children for a day, a week, or a lifetime.
Kimberly DuVall
Founder & Executive Director
Kimberly DuVall is the Visionary, Founder, and Executive Director of Fostering Connections. Born from her own experience as a foster/adoptive mom, she knows how challenging and lonely the journey of a caregiver can be. It is vital to know you are not on the journey alone and it is a blessing when others support you with tangible goods, emotional support, prayer, and trauma-informed resources. She believes that when caregivers feel loved and supported, the ripple effect goes straight to the kids.
Recognizing the urgent need and the reality that caregivers are the ones who have the greatest possibility of providing hope and healing to the kids in their care, she began a support group in 2015 focusing on TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention). Connections were formed and caregivers began to share clothing and other resources. In the fall of 2016 the endeavor grew and what was initially known as the “Clothing Closet” was born.
Kimberly received her Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology from Hampshire College and a Master of Education in Multicultural Education from Eastern University.
Ginny Wagner
Board of Directors
Ginny Wagner joined the Board of Directors of Fostering Connections in 2022 having supported the organization for several years. Her family was involved in foster care in Madison County from 2017 to 2019 and were direct recipients of the support and encouragement provided by the organization.
Ginny serves as the Chief of Staff at Avion Solutions and brings more than 20 years of experience in contracting, budgeting, policy, strategy, and business process improvement. Prior to joining Avion Solutions, Ginny served as Executive Director for a multinational nonprofit focused on orphan care and community health.
Ginny also serves on the Women’s Philanthropy Society Leadership Council, the Board of Directors for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Tennessee Valley, and the Board of Directors of the Madison City Chapter of the National Charity League.
Ginny received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin. She and her husband, Paul, live in Madison City with their three children and two dogs.
Tiffany Taylor
CPA, CGMA
Tiffany Taylor is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) with 17 years of progressive experience from public accounting to industry financial management and business administration. She serves as the Finance Director for Hexagon Safety, Infrastructure, & Geospatial.
Tiffany began volunteering with Fostering Connections in 2020 and joined the Board of Directors in 2023. In her professional and home life, she is passionate about pursuing excellence and efficiency. She believes it is something that lets a Christian’s “light shine before others” (Matthew 5:16) and points people to Jesus. The first time she volunteered for a service project at the Foster Closet, she was so impressed by the leadership and organizational capabilities of the Executive Director, Kimberly, that she was drawn to continue to serve the organization in other ways.
Tiffany has a heart for kids and family, and says, “I believe this is a tough world for children, and I know the devil wants to steal their joy, their hope, and their future. My heart goes out to these precious children who are facing difficult circumstances.” She believes the family unit is critical to a child’s potential future and is humbled and amazed by the foster, adoptive, and kinship “parents” who step in to fill a hole for a child, knowing that it will come with pain, sorrow, and even loss. “The level of self-sacrifice is just awe-inspiring to me so if I can play even a tiny role in supporting those children and the adults who are trying to give them a future, I am all in.”
Tiffany’s expertise has been instrumental in creating a robust financial foundation for the ongoing success of Fostering Connections.
Dana Vines
Dana is a dedicated advocate with a lifelong commitment to children in the foster care system. As a foster mom for the past eight years, she has a deep understanding of the hardships and needs faced by foster, adoptive, and kinship families. In addition to being a devoted single mother to four children, two biological and two adopted, Dana also serves as the kinship provider for her granddaughter.
In 2021, Dana became acquainted with Fostering Connections while managing The Pilot Light Home, a group home located in Cullman, Alabama. The Pilot Light Home operates as a 24/7 foster care facility for six children and is licensed by the Department of Human Resources (DHR) to provide emergency care. It offers a safe and nurturing environment to abused and neglected children, ensuring children have access to necessities such as food, clothing, and educational opportunities. Following her tenure at The Pilot Home, Dana joined the Fostering Connections Board of Directors in 2023.
In addition to her responsibilities as a board member, Dana holds a position as an accountant for Allison Accounting, LLC. Further, she serves with Transforming Lives in Cullman, Alabama, where she works to empower and support families through parenting and anger management classes and assisting with supervised visitations through DHR.
Alli Brightwell
Alli is a passionate supporter of children in foster care. Growing up, she gained an intimate understanding of the complexities of the care system through relationships with friends placed in kinship arrangements. She has a deep passion for fostering equity among children and teens in care while ensuring their host families receive ample support. As an adult, Alli continued to witness the impact of foster care through friends who became foster parents.
Her journey with Fostering Connections began as she researched service opportunities for her Sunday School class. Upon discovering Fostering Connections, she learned about the impactful work being done on the front lines of foster care. After volunteering and experiencing the tangible difference she could make, Alli took the next step and became a board member. In this role, she actively contributes to the mission of Fostering Connections.
Alli earned her Bachelor of Science in Literature, Media, and Communications from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master of Arts in Humanitarian and Disaster Leadership from Wheaton College. Outside her involvement with Fostering Connections, Alli works for Corvid Technologies as a Configuration Management Analyst.
Foster Hope with Your Generosity
You don’t have to be a foster parent to make a difference. Consider getting involved by volunteering, donating needed items, or giving monetary donations.
