CarePortal Connects Mississippi Families to Local Churches
Congregations in South Mississippi and the Gulf Coast can now respond to material needs posted by child welfare caseworkers.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Special Needs
Lifeline Children's Services and the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services launched CarePortal regionally in South Mississippi, announced Monday at First Baptist Church in Long Beach. CarePortal is a faith-based platform that connects child welfare caseworkers' material-need requests for families with participating local churches and community organizations.
Why it matters
For Mississippi families in the child welfare system, the program turns urgent everyday needs into requests that local congregations can answer quickly. The regional launch extends a model that first started in April 2024 in Hinds, Madison, and Rankin counties to the South Mississippi and Gulf Coast communities.
CarePortal has served more than 650 children in the Jackson metropolitan area over the past two years, with 41 participating churches there. Organizers plan to recruit churches throughout Harrison County and the Gulf Coast, with no regional totals yet reported.
The players
Lifeline Children's Services
A Christian adoption and family ministry active across 19 states that partners on CarePortal in Mississippi and Alabama.
Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services
The state agency responsible for child protection and the child welfare caseworkers who post family material needs through CarePortal.
First Baptist Church
The Long Beach congregation that hosted the regional CarePortal launch event.
The details
Caseworkers use a mobile tool to write a short story describing a family's material need, such as furniture, clothing, or household items. The request is routed to network churches and responders within those congregations, who then work to fulfill it. Lifeline, a Christian adoption and family ministry active in 19 states, partners with CarePortal in Mississippi and Alabama.
Timeline
April 2024: CarePortal first launched in Hinds, Madison, and Rankin counties.
Past two years: CarePortal served more than 650 children in the Jackson area.
Monday, November 2, 2026: South Mississippi regional launch held at First Baptist Church in Long Beach.
The Home Front
The program began in April 2024 in Hinds, Madison, and Rankin counties and has since grown into the Jackson metropolitan area and now South Mississippi. Organizers plan further expansion into Tupelo, the Golden Triangle, and the Mississippi Delta, which would spread the model across most of the state.
If your congregation is in South Mississippi or the Gulf Coast, consider whether your church could take part in CarePortal's church recruitment effort. Families and congregations can ask their local child welfare office or Lifeline's Mississippi team how to get involved.
The takeaway
Material needs for families in the child welfare system are often practical and immediate, and networks of local churches can help meet them. If your congregation has space and volunteers, ask your local child welfare office whether it can join a CarePortal network.
What happens next
Organizers plan to recruit churches throughout Harrison County and the Gulf Coast, and to expand into Tupelo, the Golden Triangle, and the Mississippi Delta.
Further reading
For more on support services for children with diverse needs, see the Special Needs section.
