DePelchin partners with couples and individuals through its foster care program who can provide temporary care for children until they can return home safely.

Some of these children are reunited with their birth families, but many children are unable to be reunited and are ‘legally free’ for adoption.

Through its foster care adoption program, DePelchin supports couples and individuals wanting to adopt children who are in the care of Child Protective Services and need a loving forever family.

Click here to learn more.

Kinship caregivers provide a way for children to stay connected with their family or fictive kin when they cannot live with their birth parents.

• Are you raising someone else’s children?
• Are you looking for support as a caregiver?

We may be able to help!

Big Hearts Raising Kids is a Kinship Program by DePelchin Children’s Center. We provide services in Harris and all surrounding counties that include the following:

• Resources and Referrals: Receive hands-on support to connect to basic needs.
• Parenting Support: Whether their arrival in your home was expected or unexpected, caring for children, and a new generation, can be hard!
• General Support: Connect with our support team and other caregivers.

Residential Treatment Center

The Residential Treatment program at DePelchin treats foster children struggling with severe mental, emotional, or behavioral problems that inhibit normal functioning in a family setting. The purpose of the program is to help the youth develop the coping methods, internal control, and social skills they need to transition back into a home environment.

TAGS

DePelchin’s Transitioning to Adulthood through Guidance and Support (TAGS) Program seeks to provide a safe, stable environment for homeless young adults, ages 18-22, who have aged out of the child welfare system. In addition to offering temporary residence, the TAGS Program provides youths the opportunities, knowledge, and skills necessary to mature into productive, responsible adults capable of becoming independent.

Pregnant and Parenting Teen and Transitional Living Programs

DePelchin Children’s Center offers a Pregnant and Parenting Teen Program and a Residential Treatment Program for older youth aging out of foster care.

Our programs at Today’s Harbor a DePelchin Children’s Center Campus are intended to create a holistic approach to caring for at-risk youths while providing a safe and nurturing environment for everyone receiving services.

Our approach is based on education, individualized case management, mental health, wellness, and preparation for living independently. 

Child Protective Services responsibilities include:

• Providing services to children and families in their own homes.
• Placing children in foster care.
• Providing services to help youth in foster care successfully transition to adulthood.
• Helping children get adopted.

Child Protective Services (CPS) becomes involved with children and families when they are referred by the DFPS Investigations division, which investigates allegations of child abuse and neglect.

Click here to learn more.

Our Adaya program helps youths without a permanent placement know they are valued and cherished.  Our personnel coaches engage with these young people, not just as therapists, but as partners to help them build attachment and start a journey towards healing.  Coaches are going to the youth, wherever their temporary placement is, to ensure they receive the trauma-responsive intervention they need and deserve.

When a placement is identified for these youth, Chosen's staff "follow the child," helping the transition to a family ensuring stability and higher success rates.  This essential component is critical to help youth heal in safe, loving, and permanent relationships.

Contact us here.

Chosen's Addy Program offers a comprehensive approach for adoptive parents and caregivers seeking to strengthen family bonds and support children with unique needs.  The program focuses on understanding the trauma experienced by children while acknowledging the profound losses they have endured.

Click here to learn more about our process.

Parents who have been separated from their children need support to create a stable environment  By walking the path of healing together, Chosen empowers families to build trust.  Home can become a place of safety, security, and hope.

Click here to contact us.

Fostering Connections is a program geared toward foster parents, recognizing the unique dynamics and challenges they face.  In the child welfare system, simply being involved can be traumatic.  At Chosen, we recognize this and are dedicated to helping children and foster families navigate the path to healing.

Click here to contact us. 

Families raising other relatives' children never expected to be parenting again.  Shifting roles with birth parents and financial hardship add to the challenges.  Our team helps you navigate tumultuous waters.  We help build bonds of trust.  We walk the path of healing together.

Click here to contact us.

Child Protective Services responsibilities include:

• Providing services to children and families in their own homes.
• Placing children in foster care.
• Providing services to help youth in foster care successfully transition to adulthood.
• Helping children get adopted.

Child Protective Services (CPS) becomes involved with children and families when they are referred by the DFPS Investigations division, which investigates allegations of child abuse and neglect.

Click here to learn more.

Understanding Foster Care

When children can’t safely live at home, the court can give temporary legal possession to Child Protective Services (CPS). CPS assigns a case worker to the children and then the immediate goal is to find a safe home for the children to live while the biological parents work to get their rights back.

These temporary places could be:

• Foster family homes
• Residential group care facilities
• Facilities overseen by another state agency

Foster care is meant to be temporary until the parents demonstrate they can safely care for their children.

However, it can become permanent if the court determines parental rights should be terminated and the children become legally free for adoption.

Foster parents are typically the natural choice for the permanency provided through adoption. But it's an uncertain road that you must be prepared to travel.

Our Dare to Dream program matches mentors with youth to navigate life's challenges together, providing advice, encouragement, and a supportive community.

We believe that the simple act of telling a mentee "I believe in you," "You are special," and "You are going to do great things" can transform their journey entirely.

Mentors meet both practical and emotional needs, guiding their mentees through tailored developmental milestones.

Mentors commit to meeting with their mentees every other week to set goals and help them achieve their dreams. While the relationships ideally last a lifetime, the program is a one-year commitment.

• Make a referral here.
• Volunteer information here.

The program offers one-on-one mentorship to youth in care aged 11-22.

Our Love Box program provides community and holistic support to fostering families, including caregivers, children experiencing foster care, and biological/adopted children. This wrap-around support empowers caregivers to continue to do the important and meaningful work of being foster parents.

Each Love Box volunteer/group will be matched with a local foster family based on location and compatibility. When our families are matched with committed volunteers who show up monthly, parents feel supported, and children gain a greater sense of normalcy, relational permanency, and self-confidence. This support also leads to increased placement stability, reducing the high rate of turnover that often occurs in the foster care system.

• Make a referral here.
• Volunteer information here.

Child Protective Services responsibilities include:

• Providing services to children and families in their own homes.
• Placing children in foster care.
• Providing services to help youth in foster care successfully transition to adulthood.
• Helping children get adopted.

Child Protective Services (CPS) becomes involved with children and families when they are referred by the DFPS Investigations division, which investigates allegations of child abuse and neglect.

Click here to learn more.

TruLight127 provides specialized training and guidance to help you provide a nurturing and stable home for children who have been abused or neglected.

We are always in need of parents and families who can provide:

• Homes for sibling groups of two or more
• Homes for children of all racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds
• Homes for children with behavioral, emotional, or physical special needs
• Homes for teenagers

Why Choose TruLight127?

• A professional case management team to help you through the process and support for you throughout your time with TruLight127
• Experienced trainers who are knowledgeable in the child welfare system and the needs of the children served
• Access to the Shining Light Donation Center at the TruLight127 Office filled with clothing, hygiene products, school supplies, etc.
• Online support and training resources, including a website dedicated to the Foster Care and Adoption program
• On-going annual in-house training
• Opportunities for cultural events such as Kid's Day Out programs, Fall Festival's, Christmas Events, Spring Flings, etc.
  24/7 Parent Support for emergency situations
• Beautiful training and meeting facilities on the Jonathan's Place campus

A big part of the heart of TruLight127 is to support children in Kinship Homes.

For generations, extended families have played significant roles in rearing children when parents are having a difficult time. This is called Kinship Care by Child Protective Services (CPS). These are relatives and other people who the child or family have a significant relationship can often provide children with stability when they can't live with their birth parents.

Kinship caregivers are not given the same kind of support that foster families are given. They are often left struggling for resources. We want to support that family as much as we can so that the children placed there can stay in a stable family environment. We provide resources, trainings, and often license them so that they can receive the support that they need.

What Are the Benefits of Kinship Care?

• Provides love and care in a familiar setting
• Provides parents with a sense of hope that children will remain connected to their birth families
• Enables children to live with people they know and trust
• Reinforces a child's sense of cultural identity and positive self-esteem
• Helps a child make and sustain extended family connections
• Continues lifelong family traditions and memories
• Supports the child in building healthy relationships within the family
• Supports the child's need for safety and well-being;
• Creates a sense of stability in the life of a child

Explore all of your pregnancy options at Horizon. Our client advocates will help you create a plan that meets your unique needs.

If you’re interested in parenting, we offer free classes and services designed to help you become the best parent you can be. Curious about adoption?

We can help with that, too. Speak to your client advocate about our free adoption support services!

Medical and Legal Referrals

Need medical or legal help? We can help you get the referrals needed to receive treatment and connect with legal professionals!

Thanks to our generous supporters, all our services are provided at no charge to our clients, and no insurance is required!

Meeting quarterly, this informal support group serves adoptive families and those considering fostering or adopting.

Together we help each other with resources, training, connections, and have fun doing so!

Click here or contact Mark McLemore for more information.

Our mission is to offer healing and hope to children and families affected by abuse, abandonment, or neglect.

Our vision is for abused and neglected children to be empowered to grow up to be happy, productive, and caring adults.

Community-Based Care

Texas is implementing Community-Based Care (CBC) to improve the lives and outcomes of children in state care. CBC is a systems change and a new way of providing foster care and case management services. Key functions of the child welfare system shift from the state to contractors.

Within a geographic service area, a single source continuum contractor (SSCC) is responsible for finding foster homes for children in state care and, as the stages of service progress, providing them with a full continuum of services. Check out our video below or learn more here.

Our free programs help you give your child the best possible start!

We offer a variety of parenting support groups, information, and resources for families to help their children develop during the crucial early years of life.

Click here to see our family support resources.

One of the hallmarks of our program is that we have the ability to keep large groups of siblings together.

Located on a 10-acre campus in Bulverde, Texas, our Therapeutic Residential Foster Care program teaches our youth essential life skills through therapeutic relationship building.

These skills address social, emotional, and behavioral issues, and provide academic support and mentoring. We are proud to say that our 38-bed facility offers a very homelike feel and our youth can live with other children close to their age and stage.

Because of our unique setup, we are able to offer a home to children ages 5-21 years old, all of whom are in the managing conservatorship of the State of Texas.

Individual treatment plans, a homelike environment, and highly trained staff work together to help each child achieve their version of success. Many children come to us after multiple foster home placements - sometimes after as many as eight to twelve - and most arrive at least two years behind academically. Our dedicated staff works closely with the local school district to help them catch up with their peers.

A Child Needs You Today. Children outnumber available foster homes 40 to 1. The need for foster homes in Bexar County to help children heal from abuse and neglect is at a critical level. If you have thought about being a foster care parent, now is the time to do it. Becoming a foster parent is one of the most difficult but most rewarding jobs a person can do. A foster parent provides love and support to a child in need.

The priority for children removed from their homes is to place them with a loving family. Our foster care program is licensed to recruit and train families to become foster care parents. Foster families are provided with wrap-around services, including case management, trauma-informed care training, and therapeutic and recreational services. These services are offered to ensure a successful placement.

To become a foster parent, you must meet the following criteria:

• Be enthusiastic and committed to working with children in crisis who need out of home care.
• Be a responsible, mature adult of at least 21 years old.
• Be physically and emotionally healthy.
• Be financially self-sufficient.
• Be committed to working with traumatized children.
• Have a reliable, registered, and insured automobile.
• Pass a criminal history, domestic violence history and abuse database check. All members of the family 14 years and older must submit to a FBI fingerprint screening
• Participate in pre-service training, including Orientation, PRIDE (Parent Resource for Information, Development and Education), Behavior Management (SAMA), Psychotropic Medication and CPR/First Aid.
• All family members agree to participate in extensive interviews and a comprehensive home assessment.

If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, please fill out this information request form. One of our foster care case managers will contact you. You can also call (210) 659-1901 for more information. If you are ready to apply, please complete the Foster Parent Application and submit your application by email here.  Click here for the Application.

For more information about our foster home, and Foster Care Program in San Antonio, call (210) 945-1537.

The foundation of all of our programs is our Residential Foster Care Program based on our campus. The family-style environment of our residential program exposes children to positive influences, responsibility and consistency. Our family-centered cottages provide a safe, structured family environment that helps prevent and resolve long-term social and emotional problems. Cottage families allow children to develop relationships with adults and peers. Each home offers children a chance to experience how healthy families behave, communicate, and respect one another. Security, consistency, structure, and discipline are the cornerstones of cottage life.

Our residential program has been nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation since 2000. Our campus is immersed in trauma-informed care and services. All of our directors are TBRI® certified practitioners who train all staff to see the “whole child” in their care and help that child reach their highest potential.

Each cottage provides long-term care for up to 8 children from ages 5 through 17 years old.

Click here for more information

Children ages 5-17

Residents can stay up to 260 total days.

Boysville is one of the few agencies still accepting privately placed children. No family is turned away due to a lack of ability to pay but children must meet criteria. To talk to someone about placing a child at Boysville, please call 210-659-5275 or email our Intake Coordinator.

No child is turned away due to a lack of ability to pay.

Planned Parenthood is one of the nation’s leading providers of high-quality, affordable health care, and the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With or without insurance, you can always come to us for your health care.

Services Offered
Our expert care providers offer care in the following services. Learn more about what services are offered, what to expect, and pricing.

• Birth Control
• Emergency Contraception (Morning-After Pill)
• Gender-Affirming Care
• HIV Services
• Pregnancy Testing and Planning
• Prenatal and Postpartum Services
• STD Testing and Treatment
• Sexual and Reproductive Concerns
• Vaccines
• Wellness and Preventive Care

Call 24/7

Click here to book an appointment.

Insurance & Payments
Everyone deserves affordable health care. With or without insurance, you can always come to us for health care.

The CrossBridge adoption and foster care ministry exists to be a connecting point for families and individuals who have been touched by God's call to care for orphans in their distress (James 1:27) and to promote a "wrap around" approach where the entire body of Christ is encouraged, empowered and equipped to be involved with supporting families that have adopted.

We meet on the second Sunday of every month during our second service and welcome any interested families to join us. We would love the opportunity to pray with you, answer questions, and share our experiences.

We desire that people move toward foster care and adoption with “eyes wide open.” We want people to know the good, the bad, the difficult, and the all-surpassing hope of Christ to bring healing and wholeness to our children. We desire to provide a safe place to share the joys and the struggles of adoption as we support each other through prayer.

If you are considering adoption or foster care, please contact us. We have families that have experience with international, domestic, and foster adoptions that would love to support you on your journey.

As you continue your journey we encourage you to check out the books:

• Adopted For Life – The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches
• Fields of the Fatherless – Discover the Joy of Compassionate Living

In addition, check out our parenting page for more resources to help you along this journey.

Our Adaya program helps youths without a permanent placement know they are valued and cherished. Our personnel coaches engage with these young people, not just as therapists, but as partners to help them build attachment and start a journey towards healing. Coaches are going to the youth, wherever their temporary placement is, to ensure they receive the trauma-responsive intervention they need and deserve.

When a placement is identified for these youth, Chosen’s staff “follow the child,” helping the transition to a family, ensuring stability and higher success rates. This essential component is critical to help youth heal in safe, loving, and permanent relationships. 

Contact us here.

Chosen’s Addy Program offers a comprehensive approach for adoptive parents and caregivers seeking to strengthen family bonds and support children with unique needs. The program focuses on understanding the trauma experienced by children while acknowledging the profound losses they have endured.

Click here to learn more about our process.

Parents who have been separated from their children need support to create a stable environment. By walking the path of healing together, Chosen empowers families to build trust. Home can become a place of safety, security, and hope.

To contact us, click here.

Fostering Connections is a program geared toward foster parents, recognizing their unique dynamics and challenges. In the child welfare system, simply being involved can be traumatic. At Chosen, we recognize this and are dedicated to helping children and foster families navigate the path to healing.

To contact us, click here.

Families raising other relatives’ children never expected to be parenting again. Shifting roles with birth parents and financial hardship add to the challenges. Our team helps you navigate tumultuous waters. We help build bonds of trust. We walk the path of healing together.

To contact us click here.

This group is for individuals considering to foster or adopt, locally or internationally, and for families who have been through the adoption process. Our goal is to provide information about adoption funding, through the ABBA Fund and The Chosen Marathon, to connect you with others who have used these resources successfully, and to encourage you in your adoption process.