Christian Bale may play a superhero in the Batman franchise, but now he is in real life to help some kids who really use the hero. For Bell, it's the role of a lifetime.

The Academy Award-winning actor is helping to build California, a foster care family designed to place orphan siblings in the desert community in Palpal, California. Some organizations estimate that up to 75% of siblings end up living separately after entering foster care in the United States

"So what you imagine is, you know, did you know," Bell told "CBS Sundayer" correspondent Tracy Smith.

"It just needs a heart"

Bell said you don’t necessarily need to have any history or connection to the foster care system in order to take action and help.

"It just takes a heart," Bell said. It's just the basic understanding that as a society we should take care of our children.

Bale's foster care job was inspired 17 years ago when he looked at his young daughter and imagined she had no parents. He began researching foster care and found Tim McCormick, who has been running a foster care family in Chicago for decades.

Bale recruited McCormick to help him open up California, a Los Angeles village with a group of foster siblings. Siblings can stay together in various houses around the Central Garden, where they are cared for by trained foster parents whose only job is to take care of them.

"That's what this website means. We created a place of real kindness. It certainly affects a child, but it affects us all. We created a different story as a society."

Make the vision come to life

AC Marin's architects are helping bring Bale's vision to life, Groundbreaking at a construction site February 2024. While it is one of their smaller construction projects, AC Martin CEO Tom Hsieh said it was one of their biggest priorities.

"I think we have to help in society. For me, you know, it's as exciting as creating the next high rise, we need to give back to the community and the community. It's small, but I'm very proud of this project," Hsieh told CBS on Sunday morning.

Currently, the village is still a construction site, but Bale says it is already drawing a photo.

"I love design. I love architecture," Bell said. "So, I admire the whole design process. So, actually, it's really exciting to see it-what is about to happen."

There is still a long way to go. They need to continue raising funds and find the right foster parents, but they are finally starting to take shape. They hope to welcome their first child early next year.

Bell has received many honors throughout his career, but he said opening the center to keep his foster siblings would be one of his greatest achievements.

“This is when I closed my eyes last time, what I wanted to say is… 'Am I doing it well? Have I changed anything useful in the world? It will be the one thing I will be most proud of when I take a deep breath. ” he said.