Family Support

Family Support The Individual & Family Support assistance program assists Alabamians statewide. Family Support (Individual & Family Support of South Alabama, Inc.)

In 1992, because Alabama families had many unmet needs, a grassroots coalition sprang up across Alabama to examine and redirect the way we provide supports and services to children and adults with developmental disabilities. The FACES (Families and Consumers Establishing Supports) coalition, which included people with disabilities, their family members, friends, and advocates was created. They emb

raced a powerful statement of values and goals for the State of Alabama, and 1993 saw the passage of Act 93-334 which created the Individual & Family Support program. The state was divided into five regions, each with a volunteer regional council made up of individuals with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities. Regional councils were directed to incorporate as nonprofits, and administer the program in their area through the work of local councils. was created in January, 1994, as a nonprofit corporation designed to serve ten counties in the southern portion of the State. Assistance is provided to individuals and families statewide through volunteer councils using state funding, contracts, grants and donations. In 2009 Family Support established a new Board of Trustees to add a level of intensity and commitment to the organizations’ plans, goals and objectives.

05/10/2026

On Mother's Day, we acknowledge the tireless efforts of mothers caring for children with special needs. Your perseverance and love make you authentic heroes.

05/01/2026
04/05/2026

From our family to yours, Happy Easter.

04/01/2026

Upward Bound, filled with characters you won't soon forget, will inspire and touch you, teaching you as much about yourself as its tender, miraculous world.

03/25/2026

Doctors said she would never live normally. She earned two degrees and became a speech pathologist.

And all this after losing half her brain.

At just eight years old, Christina Santhouse underwent a radical hemispherectomy to stop the relentless seizures caused by Rasmussen’s encephalitis. Surgeons removed the entire right half of her brain, a procedure that led many medical experts to predict a life of permanent dependence and limited cognitive function. However, Santhouse’s journey became a landmark case for neuroplasticity and the power of the human spirit. Rather than succumbing to the limitations set by her diagnosis, she spent her youth relearning basic motor skills and pushing past the physical barriers imposed by her surgery.

Her determination yielded extraordinary results as she reached milestones many thought impossible, including obtaining her driver’s license at age seventeen. Santhouse went on to excel in academia, completing both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in a rigorous five-year span. Today, she works as a speech-language pathologist, utilizing her professional expertise and personal history of resilience to help others overcome communication challenges. Her life serves as a powerful reminder that the brain's ability to adapt is profound, and a medical prognosis does not define a person's ultimate potential.

source: Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2011). Christina’s Story: Life After Hemispherectomy. Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

03/21/2026
Come join us to get informative information on where to get resources that may help you, a family member, or a friend. P...
03/20/2026

Come join us to get informative information on where to get resources that may help you, a family member, or a friend. Please share for everyone to see.

02/14/2026

Happy Valentine’s Day from our family to yours.

01/10/2026

Yes! The majority of Cubbys we ship are paid for by Insurance, Medicaid, waivers, charities, or local government grant programs. Please take our Funding Quiz to receive guidance and access helpful resources.

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1050 Government Street
Mobile, AL
36604

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