The Hinton family give God their "yes"

Chad and Alicia Hinton felt they had exhausted all excuses. While the rest of the congregation at Englewood Baptist Church in Rocky Mount were exiting the sanctuary, the couple stayed in their seats reflecting on the two-part question from the Sunday morning message: What is your reason for not participating in fostering and adoption, and is your reason just an excuse?

In January and February 2022, Englewood was in the midst of a biblically-based sermon series focusing on foster care and adoption. Two of the messages were shared by speakers from Baptist Children's Homes (BCH) who discussed the EVERY CHILD foster care initiative. The initiative makes it possible for Christian husbands and wives to care for vulnerable NC children by becoming foster families through training provided by BCH.

With their hearts moved by the challenge from the pulpit, Chad and Alicia sought clarity from the Lord. They carefully examined the reasons in their hearts and minds that were keeping them from making the commitment to fostering.

"In looking at things and talking to God, everything was an excuse," Chad explains. "So I said 'yes' and we said 'yes' together."

The Hintons' decision would change the direction of their already large family. The couple and their four biological children, ages four to 13, live in the small community of Tarboro, about a 20-minute drive from their church. Alicia, whose father lived at an orphanage from age three until he was 18, had grown up knowing about the hardships her dad navigated because he did not have the support of a family. For Alicia, giving God their "yes" was an answer to a longtime prayer.

Chad and Alicia began the EVERY CHILD training which is a 12-week course. The training and licensing process to officially become a foster family carried them deep into 2022.

As December arrived and family Christmas planning was underway, Alicia felt a stirring within her that was signaling a very different plan.

"God started really putting 'Christmas baby' on my heart," she explains. "And I couldn't shake it."

In the days ahead, Chad and the children would come home from work and school to find Alicia "nesting"—she was doing extra cleaning and chores to prepare the family home in anticipation of a child being placed.

"I was sitting by the Christmas tree, and I received a phone call from an unknown number," she shares. "It was Baptist Children's Homes."

Alicia's heart raced as the BCH case manager told her about Ian, a newborn in the NICU at the hospital, who was in need of a foster care placement. She shared that the baby would likely be discharged into the Hintons' care either Christmas Eve or Christmas day.

"All the time Alicia was nesting, Ian was there at the hospital waiting to come home," Chad says. "Little did we know Ian would come into our lives on Christmas Eve of 2022."

Chad stayed home with the children that night while Alicia drove to the hospital. After putting on a pair of hospital scrubs, the new foster mom cradled Ian in her arms.

"My heart just melted, and I ugly cried," Alicia shares. "I tell myself, 'Okay, I'm going to take care of this baby. I'm going to love him like my own until the courts tell me not to.'"

The main goal for a child in foster care, if at all possible, is reunification with his or her biological family. Chad and Alicia understood and accepted that if the court, in tandem with the N.C. Department of Social Services, agreed it was in Ian's best interest, he would one day return to his biological family.

"Ian has some wonderful family that love him," Alicia explains. "He's got cousins and two older biological sisters who have been adopted by their great aunt and uncle."

The Hintons connected with Ian's extended family to give him interaction with his half sisters. In the process, a deep bond formed.

"Ian was the bridge between two families," Alicia says "They are supportive of us and Ian. Together, we're a family."

After seven months, the Hintons received a call that Ian's official plan was changing from foster care to adoption. It was not the news Chad and Alicia were anticipating. The family of six were faced with a big decision.

"We talked to our kids and asked, 'What do you think about adopting Ian?'" Alicia recalls. "They said, 'Yes.' They didn't even have to think about it."

With the enthusiastic agreement of the entire family, including his great aunt and uncle, Ian is now a permanent member of the Hinton family. Since then, Chad and Alicia decided to renew their foster care license so they can continue to care for vulnerable children. In order to do so, they have purchased a larger home that gives them an extra bedroom. They see their larger home as an extension of their commitment to ministering as an EVERY CHILD foster family.

"I don't think I can put into words what fostering has done to my spiritual journey," Alicia says. "There's so many times in the story where it just felt impossible, but the impossible is nothing to God."

Ian is now two years old. The toddler is happy and thriving with his forever family.

"We understand that BCH can't do what they do without the support of NC Baptists throughout the state," Chad says. "We truly are making an impact one family at a time, one child at a time."

Looking back at that pivotal church service, the Hintons see a plan that was far greater than their own.

"If we hadn't said 'yes' at the time, we would've missed God's timing," Chad shares. "BCH was there, and we just said 'yes' together," Alicia adds. "God just wants our 'yes.'"

Note: The BCH Week of Prayer is November 9-16, 2025. Offering resources are at bchoffering.org.

Written By Blake Ragsdale, Vice President of Communications