Christian Bale Unveils Plans To Build 12 Foster Homes In California

Christian Bale

Christian Bale begins construction on a foster care project, saying, “We must help our children”

Christian Bale is building 12 foster homes that aim to keep siblings in the foster care system together and under the same roof

He started working on the project 16 years ago.

Reports has it; that Christian Bale was “stunned and mad” to learn how many children in California are in foster care.

Bale spent the last sixteen years working on a project that was inspired by the discovery. The actor's dream to construct 12 foster homes is finally taking shape this week.

“My wife and I decided that we were going to do everything we could in our power to change that.”

The English actor admitted he had “the very unrealistic idea” that his plan to help foster kids would be executed within a year. Now, 16 years into the project, Bale understands how “complicated and tough” it can be to help kids.

 

“When I started this, I had a beautiful 3-year-old daughter, she's now in college,” according to reports.

The “Dark Knight” star gave a tour of the future village on Thursday, which will include two studio apartments, twelve foster homes, and a 7,000 square foot community center.

The project's umbrella organization, Together California, was established by Bale, his wife Sibi Bale, and UCLA professor and close friend Eric Esrailian. The new community, called Antelope Valley, is located north of Los Angeles and is designed to keep siblings together while they are in foster care.

“Imagine the absolute pain and the trauma of losing your parents or being torn from your parents, and then losing your brothers and sisters on top of that. That's no way to treat kids,” Bale said during the tour on Thursday, according t report. “And so, we will be the hub for that. I hope that this village will be the first of many, and I hope that people, Californians and Angelenos, know to come join us in opening our eyes to what's happening right under our noses. These are our children, and we must help our children.”

The project is anticipated to be finished by 2025 and will cost about $22 million. It will be California's first foster village of its kind.

Bale attributed his desire to give back to his community to his father's philanthropic nature.

“I grew up with a dad who was always very active and altruistic, and we would be headed to protests and shouting at Maggie Thatcher and stuff. As a kid, I didn't really know what I was doing, but I loved it,” Bale said. “We were always having other people coming and living in our house who didn't have homes, etc. That's just the guy that he was.”