Children’s Harbor’s mission is to serve seriously ill children and their families through unique, no-cost services at both the Family Center located at the Children's of Alabama located in Birmingham, AL, and at the Lake Martin retreat facility in Alexander City, Alabama. Children’s Harbor has been in service since 1989. The Family Center provides patients and their families a place of respite, comfort, and fun while not having to leave the campus of Children's of Alabama. Mental health services are provided to patients and their families through licensed, illness-specific counselors at no cost to the families and without limitations. Other services offered include educational support, scheduled interactive activities, an exercise room, hair salon, nap rooms, library, laundry facilities, and play areas. The retreat facility at Lake Martin boasts 66 acres with extensive water frontage, zero-entry swimming pools, handicap accessible tree house, miniature golf, basketball and volleyball courts, canoeing, activity rooms and more for families and children to reconnect and meet other families with similar diagnoses. These illness populations include children with cancer, organ transplants, autism, serious burns, the visual impaired, spinal cord injuries, among others. The facilities are donated at no cost to organizations who apply annually through a grant process with Children’s Harbor.
