Thousands of Texas children in foster care need permanent families. Adoption is a great way to provide the love and security every child deserves. So when you are thinking about expanding your family, we hope you will consider adopting in Texas.

Families take many journeys to achieve the final goal of adoption, internationally, privately, or through foster/kinship care. Pathways can license families for adoption and we can help you find the information you need to determine which path to adoption is right for you.

Ready to get started? Join our next orientation class to learn more about adopting a child in Texas! Click here for the training calendar.

Pathways contracts with the Department of Family & Protective Services (DFPS) and regional Single Source Continuum Contractors (SSCCs) to provide safe, nurturing foster homes for children navigating the foster care system.

Pathways licenses foster homes for children ages 0-17 and support extended foster care for youth up to age 21. We provide extensive training and support to ensure foster families are ready and able to handle a range of situations. Fostering requires a high level of dedication, a willingness to work with our team, and a commitment to support a child daily when issues arise. The reward of helping a child is worth the work!

The safety and well-being of our children are of utmost importance, and our primary goal is to foster healing and growth in children placed in our care while working collaboratively to find the best, permanent home for the child.

Click here to learn more.

Click here for the application form.

Key requirements:

• At least 21 years of age
• Mature and responsible
• Financially stable
• Compassionate and patient with children
• Suitable home with sufficient space
• Ability to learn and work with a team
• Able to commit to ongoing training

Therapy services include assessments, treatment planning, and ongoing therapy services. Clinicians treat children and families in several areas including stress management, anxiety, depression, trauma, and other issues. 

Our targeted case management and skill enhancement services help families to identify natural supports and strengths to develop a plan to address the families' needs and make lasting behavioral changes. All of our services are community-based, people-centered, and family-driven.

Psychiatric services are provided by board-certified psychiatrists who develop individualized treatment plans and provide psychiatric evaluation, medication management, and consultation services.

Our services include:

• Skills Training for Children, Youth, & Adults
• Parenting Coaching
• Nurturing Parenting
• Crisis Services
• Mental Health & Psychiatric Assessments
• Individual & Family Therapies
• Medication Management
• Wraparound (for clients that qualify)

Specialized therapy services include:

• Trauma Focused – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
• Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

Click here to learn more.

Click here to request service.

Click here to Request Psychiatric Services or 

Contact Us: 1-800-427-6144

We provide services to children throughout the state who are covered by STAR Health or another type of Medicaid insurance.

The Texas Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) Comprehensive 2.0 (child welfare) assessment is a multi-purpose tool developed for youth under the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS).

The assessment helps create individualized plans and objectives related to permanency planning, safety and well-being, and the quality of life of youth in foster care.

Click here to learn more.

Click here to request services.

The Pathways Treatment Family Foster Care (PTFFC) Program is a specialized foster care program designed to ensure children with high emotional and behavioral needs can thrive in loving, nurturing, and stable homes.

By providing a temporary placement where children can stabilize and improve their coping skills, Professional Foster Parents are part of the PTFFC Team that works together to serve high-needs children as they navigate the foster care system on their way to a forever home.

Click here to learn more about the program.

Key requirements:

• At least 25 years of age
• Understanding and compassionate
• Financially stable
• Suitable home with sufficient space
• One stay-at-home parent
• Willingness to learn and collaborate with a professional team

Habilitative Homes (Hab Homes) is a licensed Residential Treatment Center providing 24-hour care to children with severe intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, often due to a pervasive developmental disorder such as autism.

Hab Homes provides an enriched, predictable, supportive environment in which the children can learn and grow in normal, healthy ways developing skills in self-care, self-direction, self-discipline, self-awareness, responsibility for decisions and choices, and building skills necessary for living as independently as possible as well-adjusted, productive adults in our society.

At Hab Homes, the environment, the programming, and the staffing are always child-centered.

Admission Criteria

• Children must be between four and 17 years of age at the time of admission and may remain in care until adulthood
• Children will have a diagnosis of IDD or borderline intellectual functioning with some exceptions
• Specialized or Intense LOC (or equivalent level of need)

Therapy services include assessments, treatment planning, and ongoing therapy services. Clinicians treat children and families in several areas including stress management, anxiety, depression, trauma, and other issues. 

Our targeted case management and skill enhancement services help families to identify natural supports and strengths to develop a plan to address the families' needs and make lasting behavioral changes. All of our services are community-based, people-centered, and family-driven.

Psychiatric services are provided by board-certified psychiatrists who develop individualized treatment plans, and provide psychiatric evaluation, medication management, and consultation services.

Spanish Speaking available

Children, youth, and young adults who are in extended foster care.

Pathways accepts: 

• Traditional Medicaid
• Superior Star Health
• Star
• Star Kids
• CHIP
• Wellpoint Star
• Community First Star

The 3H Youth Ranch uses the power of nature as a tool to build new purposes, strengthen character, and engender personal integrity in young men. The balance of wilderness experiences such as camping, coupled with classroom and vocational education, creates a positive environment for boys to grow emotionally, intellectually, and physically. The treatment program is based on the aims and ideals of Scouting. 

The atmosphere is safe, structured, and supervised by a trained team of professionals and promotes acceptance of authority, responsibility for personal actions, and skills building. Each youth has an individualized treatment plan designed to ensure success upon return to his family and community.

Male youth