The Texas Foster Youth Justice Project provides free legal services for current and former foster youth throughout Texas. The team helps youth with various legal and administrative matters such as obtaining copies of CPS records; erasing criminal and juvenile records; and accessing foster youth benefits and programs that help in the transition from foster care to independence.

CARE NO MATTER WHAT
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
• HIV Services
• Men's Health Care
• Morning-After Pill (Emergency Contraception)
• Pregnancy Testing & Services
• Primary Care
• STD Testing, Treatment & Vaccines
• Transgender Hormone Therapy
• Women's Health Care

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

ResCare’s Adult Foster Care / Host Home Program offers a caring place for adults, no matter their disabilities. The individuals we serve in our program have a wide range of intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities.

We specialize in matching the people we serve to dedicated and caring Host Home providers. Our Adult Foster Care Program provides a nurturing and family-like environment, community involvement, personal care and support and close relationships with care providers.

We are always looking for caring people who want to open their homes and become host home providers.

Click here to Become an Adult Foster Care / Host Home Provider

The Children’s Shelter provides treatment foster care for children from birth to 18 years old who have been removed from their birth families due to abuse, abandonment or neglect. There is an on-going need for loving, stable and licensed therapeutic foster care homes in Bexar County to provide the environment children need while awaiting permanency (biological reunification, kinship placement or natural adoption).

Treatment foster care can range from overnight upwards to 22 months.

Treatment foster parents may elect to adopt children when their biological parents’ rights have been terminated.

Children: Birth to 18 years old.

Free.

TDFPS provides information, training, and licenses for approval to become a foster parent or adopting parent.

Foster care and adoptive parents must be 21 years old and up, pass a background check, submit to home inspections, attend trainings, and be willing to work with the welfare team.

Check our website for resources for parents and caregivers here.

CARE NO MATTER WHAT
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. If you're concerned about cost, you may qualify for low- or no-cost services.

Services Offered
Our expert care providers offer care in the following services.

• Birth Control
• HIV Services
• Men's Health Care
• Morning-After Pill (Emergency Contraception)
• Pregnancy Testing & Services
• Primary Care
• STD Testing, Treatment & Vaccines
• Transgender Hormone Therapy
• Women's Health Care

Insurance & Payments
Everyone deserves affordable health care. If you're concerned about cost, you may qualify for low- or no-cost services. With or without insurance, you can always come to us for health care.

Providing Counseling services for Child Loss, Miscarriage, Infertility Issues, Family Counseling, Divorce, Adopting, Fostering, Chronic Illness, Cancer, First Responders, Veterans, Adjustment, Anxiety, Depression, Women's Issues, Self-Esteem, Adolescents, Young Adults, and more!

Call to verify eligibility.

Overview Getting to work every day, school, and appointments would be next to impossible in a city like San Antonio without the public transit system.

As a THRU Project youth, you can receive a renewable 6-month bus pass to ride VIA buses for free.

Breaking down the transportation barrier is absolutely crucial to achieving successful employment and/or higher education. 

Eligibility requirements:

• Current or former foster youth
• Between the ages of 14-25
• Actively participating in the THRU Project mentoring program

If you are a youth in foster care, aging out doesn't necessarily mean you are on your own.

We can:

• Introduce you to an adult Mentor that can provide a listening ear and a support system for you
• Provide a bus pass to help with transportation
• Provide a cell phone and service to connect you to your Mentor and vital resources
• Connect you to other resources for housing, employment and life skills
• Provide housing necessities such as kitchen and bath supplies

We are only servicing these areas at this time:

Bulverde, Boerne, New Braunfels, San Antonio, and Converse Texas.

Please note: THRU Project Mentor program requires a one-year commitment to:

• Meet with your Mentor at least once each month
• Reply to any Mentor communications

Failure to do so may result in elimination from the program.

Free.

Every youth who enters our program is eligible to receive a free cell phone and service plan.

THRU Project created its cell phone program because we believe that by removing the communication barrier, we can dramatically improve the mental health, wellness, and overall success outcomes of our foster youth.

This program works in tandem with our volunteer mentor program as a phone-in-hand serves as an important lifeline between mentor and mentee.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Current or former foster youth
• Between the ages of 14-25
• Actively participating in the THRU Project mentoring program 3 months (or longer)
• Employed or going to school

THRU Project offers bi-monthly life skill workshops that focus on a particular life skill.

Topics will be chosen by the youth in our program and may include cooking and nutrition, human trafficking, networking, communication, higher learning, and interview skills.

The second part of each session will engage participants in activities that are fun and create community.

Click here for more information.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Current or former foster youth
• Between the ages of 14-25
• Actively participating in the THRU Project mentoring program 3 months (or longer)

The PAL program provides services to youth aging out of the foster care system to expand their skills and knowledge; strengthen their self-confidence; create healthy community relationships, and ultimately learn self-guidance.

Our programs provide services to help with:

• accessing education and vocational services.
• finding employment.
• accessing medical services.
• obtaining housing.
• establishing relationships that improve outcomes in the transition to adult life.

Texas provides the following benefits to youth when they move from foster care to adulthood:

• Transitional Living Allowance
• Tuition and Fee Waiver

In order to receive the following benefits, youth must remain in state conservatorship (in-care) until the 18th birthday.

• Aftercare Room and Board Assistance
• Transitional Medicaid
• Texas Education and Training Voucher Program (ETV)
• Reimbursable Expenses

Click here for more information about PAL Events and Circles of Support.

PAL provides transition services to foster youth and alumni from ages 17 to 21 in order to better prepare young adults for emancipation.

BCFS Health and Human Services Residential Services Division Foster Care and Adoption strives to keep children with their biological family, but when a child’s parents are unable to make the necessary changes to regain custody of their children, the state or federal government will move to place the child in the next best situation for their growing needs: with adoptive parents.

Click here for more information.

Being a foster parent is an opportunity to make a profound difference in a child’s life. BCFS Health and Human Services-San Antonio Foster Care will be your partner at every step in the process.

Children served by BCFS Health and Human Services-San Antonio are:

• Children up to 17 years of age
• Individual children or sibling groups
• Under state or federal care

Prospective foster parents must:

• be willing to meet the spiritual and religious needs of children fostered.
• have a viable source of income.
• be at least 25 years old.
• be in a marriage of at least two years.
• complete the screening process and pre-verification training requirements.
• demonstrate a nurturing parenting style.
• have adequate bedroom space.
• be willing to work with BCFS-San Antonio staff to implement a plan of care.
• maintain daily documentation in compliance with government and agency standards.

If you’ve ever thought about becoming a foster parent, now is the time to act. We will guide you through the process and provide the training and support you need!

Click here for more information.

Our workshops provide real-life practice opportunities for youth who seek positive relationships and encourage them to maintain a healthy network of peer support.  

Program benefits include:

• Paid Training - Weekly stipends of $187.84 for up to 7 weeks
• Daily workshop meals and snacks
• One on one mentorship with an Advocate
• Transportation and childcare assistance
• Career Exploration and Guidance
• Gift cards and other incentives

This program is exclusively for current and former foster youth (ages 16-23).

Enrollment Days occur every 2nd Tuesday of the month at our Transition Center.

Any current or former Foster Youth (16-23yrs old) who is interested joining our program is encouraged to attend.

On Enrollment Days youth will be able to walk-in and meet with a member of our team to answer any questions and complete registration.

We will be playing a movie and will have food to anyone who comes in from 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM.

We hope that our Enrollment Days will allow time for youth get to know the ConnectED Team and what we have to offer!

• Current or Former Foster Youth, ages: 16-23.
• Free food, drinks, and a movie while you enroll!

Click here for more information.

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 there are also many children who 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.

Planning for your baby is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. At DePelchin, we realize that this can often be a lonely and difficult decision. We’re here for you and want you to succeed in making the right choices for you and your baby.

Through our Infant Adoption Program, we work to match birth parents with loving families who are eager to welcome an infant – 2-year-old old into their lives.

Click here to learn more.

Click here to complete our confidential online inquiry form and one of our adoption professionals will contact you within 24 hours.

If you are pregnant or considering adoption for your infant – 2 yr. old and need immediate, non-medical assistance, call us today to discuss your options.

At DePelchin, our adoption team helps couples and individuals experience the joy of building a family by guiding them along the path to adoption.

Through our private infant adoption program, we support those desiring to open their home and family to a child for whom an adoption plan was made.

Click here to learn more.

Workshops focus on Education, Employment, Personal Living, Health and Safety, and Support

What are Movin' On Workshops?

Unconventional, interactive workshops that encourage  youths ages 13 - 19 years of age to "think" and develop skills while having fun.  Youth are taught to use the skills that they do not even realize they have to solve real world issues and deal with challenges that they will face after leaving foster care.

YTIA recognizes that youth learn in a variety of ways and that preparing to leave foster care begins when you enter foster care and that is why our Movin' On Workshops are:

• Tailored to meet youths where they are in life
• Divided into three categories based on the youths age and/or ability
• Can be created specifically for the youths needs
• Focus on specific categories of life skills
• Have an emphasis on preventing and /or mitigating legal effects

Workshops are divided into three categories:

• Get Ready - Designed for youth 13 - 15 years of age.  
• Transitioning Out - Designed for youth 16 - 18 years of age. 
• 18 and Free - Designed for youth 18 and older who want to know what it's really like once you "age out of the system"  or who have "aged out of the system" and need help making it on their own.

"We must Pray, Plan, Prepare, and Practice in order to Grow so you can Go!"

An Adoption Evaluation, sometimes informally called a “social study” is defined by the Texas Family Code as “a pre-placement or post-placement evaluative process through which information and recommendations regarding adoption of a child may be made to the court, the parties, and the parties’ attorneys” [Texas Family Code, Subchapter E, Section 107.151(1)].

Adoption evaluations are ordered by the Court in connection with adoptions, including private adoptions and step-parent adoptions. An adoption evaluation involves home visits, interviews of parents and children (both those to be adopted and any others living in the home) observation of the prospective adoptive parent and the child interacting with one another, background checks, and other elements that are defined by law. Adoption evaluations when the Department of Family and Protective Services are different than the evaluations performed for private adoption and are not a service we provide at this time. If you have questions about what type of adoption evaluation applies in your situation, you may need to consult an attorney who practices family law.

All Evaluators on the Bexar County Domestic Relations Office Evaluators List who are able to provide Custody Evaluations as described above also meet the qualifications outlined in the Texas Family Code for providing Adoption Evaluations. Cherie Shulter provides adoption studies in Bexar and surrounding counties on a limited basis. She also provides oversight for the following providers who are also on the Bexar County Evaluators List: Corrina Espinosa Herrera, LPC-S; Lillian Little, LMSW; and Elvira Marquez, LPC.

Those interested in having Cherie, Corrina, Lillian, or Elvira ordered to provide an adoption study may contact our office directly at 210-822-2600 or may contact the Bexar County Domestic Relations office at 210-335-1242 or visit their website at: https://www.bexar.org/3186/Domestic-Relations-Office

Evaluators listed on the Bexar County Domestic Relations Office’s list of evaluators have already been determined to meet the qualifications required by law. Those that provide adoption evaluations have indicated so and may have provided a starting estimate of costs: https://www.bexar.org/DocumentCenter/View/23558/Child-Custody-Evaluators-List-PDF?bidld=

Supervised Visitation refers to any visit between a child and an adult or adults in that child’s life that is supervised for whatever reason (such as to ensure the safety of the child, to document behaviors of the child and parent such as in a reunification situation, or to protect the parent from being falsely accused of hurting the child when there have been false allegations by another adult in the past).

Alamo Heights Counseling has a contract with the Department of Family and Protective Services to provide independent objective observers to observe interactions between children in DFPS legal cases and can, when sufficient staff are available, provide observers for visits that are ordered by judges outside children’s court as well (such as when ordered by a District Court judge in a family law matter).

Parties or their attorneys may contact our office for additional information, or may contact the Bexar County Domestic Relations Office for a reference

Alamo Heights Counseling provides supervised visitation on a limited basis when other resources in Bexar County are inaccessible or have been deemed not to be a good fit. While we are generally able to provide services on relatively short notice, it is imperative that we have a copy of the Court Order and that both parties sign our contract and pay all fees in full before visitation can begin.

 In rare instances when there is no court order but parties agree that one party’s time with the children will be supervised, we may be able to provide an independent observer, but will need documentation of the agreement between the parties.

Abrazo will help you explore your adoption options and give you honest answers to your questions. Abrazo offers free adoption help for any parents considering placement. Abrazo also offers private counseling, adoption education, a birthparent support group and professional referrals to help you find your own best answers.

Pregnant? Placing? Call anytime, day or night: 800-454-5683.

Pregnant or with a child(ren) that they are seeking an open adoption plan.

All behavior has meaning. It is a way of communicating feelings and needs. So-called problem behavior is one way a child expresses conflict, which is difficult to conceptualize and verbalize. A child can channel and give conceptual form to negative feelings and behaviors through working with art materials. The clarification and responses of an art therapist facilitates the child’s awareness of patterns, intentions, and the meaning of behavior.

A child-centered approach curriculum addresses social and developmental issues for children and teens in the foster care system. This curriculum incorporates culturally-rooted concepts and values of each individual through indigenous teachings, writings, and expressive modalities.

In addition, clients will have the opportunity to learn meditation, guided imagery, and the calming effects of quieting the mind through meditation techniques.

Licensed professional counselors provide confidential psychotherapy sessions to individuals, families, and in group settings to those who are experiencing behavioral, social, or challenging situations as it relates to being in the foster care system. Counseling session objectives are to strengthen personal awareness, nurture, heal, foster positive social changes, improve family communication, and expand and deepen their personal skills needed to help cope with the challenges that come from being the foster care system.

We currently only accept the following insurances:

• TX Medicaid
• Community First
• Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Aetna Better Health of TX
• Optum

Please call for private-pay fees.

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.

Our Foster Care and Adoption Program in San Antonio and surrounding counties licenses and trains families to open their homes and hearts to children ready to live in a family setting, both through short-term foster care and forever adoption. We are creating forever families!

SJRC Texas is looking for individuals and families to open their homes and hearts to children in foster care and adoption. Becoming a foster or adoptive parent is a great way to help children in need, give back and strengthen the community.

Foster families are individuals or families that provide a safe and loving place for foster children to live. They provide a normal living environment, help children build self-esteem, learn social skills and provide opportunities to create happy childhood memories. You also have the opportunity to give a child a forever home, through adoption.

Adoption is the goal for many children placed in foster care. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) requires all foster children to be placed in a foster home for a minimum of 6-months before they are eligible for adoption. SJRC Texas works with foster-to-adopt families during this time to prepare them for the adoption and is there every step of the way to guide the families through to the consummation of the adoption.

There are also many other ways to support our amazing children and their foster families. You can help to spread the word about our program, become trained and licensed to provide Respite Care or babysitting for our foster families or volunteer to provide other needed help and support to our foster families.

The Parents as Teachers (PAT) Program at SJRC Texas provides the information, support, and resources families need to help their children develop during the crucial early years of life.

Through individualized home visits, learn how to capture the teachable moments in everyday life.

Who qualifies? Any family with a child kinder age or younger.

Our Foster Care and Adoption Program in San Antonio and surrounding counties licenses and trains families to open their homes and hearts to children ready to live in a family setting, both through short-term foster care and forever adoption. We are creating forever families!

SJRC Texas is looking for individuals and families to open their homes and hearts to children in foster care and adoption. Becoming a foster or adoptive parent is a great way to help children in need, give back and strengthen the community.

Foster families are individuals or families that provide a safe and loving place for foster children to live. They provide a normal living environment, help children build self-esteem, learn social skills and provide opportunities to create happy childhood memories. You also have the opportunity to give a child a forever home, through adoption.

Adoption is the goal for many children placed in foster care. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) requires all foster children to be placed in a foster home for a minimum of 6-months before they are eligible for adoption. SJRC Texas works with foster-to-adopt families during this time to prepare them for the adoption and is there every step of the way to guide the families through to the consummation of the adoption.

There are also many other ways to support our amazing children and their foster families. You can help to spread the word about our program, become trained and licensed to provide respite care or babysitting for our foster families or volunteer to provide other needed help and support to our foster families.

The Adoption Alliance is a 501c3 non-profit organization which is licensed to provide adoptions services in the State of Texas.

We can assist birth parents who are interested in making an adoption plan for their unborn or born children. Counseling is available during the pregnancy and afterwards. We can assist with housing, groceries, utilities, cell phone service, laundry, clothing, personal hygiene and maternity related transportation.

If a birth mother does not have Medicaid, we can assist her with the application and refer her to an OB doctor.

Birth parents are able to select the adoptive family for their child and keep in touch with them if they desire.

Birth mothers who are seeking to make an adoption plan for their child must provide a proof of pregnancy.

CARE NO MATTER WHAT
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.

• Birth Control
• HIV Services
• Men's Health Care
• Morning-After Pill (Emergency Contraception)
• Pregnancy Testing & Services
• Primary Care
• STD Testing, Treatment & Vaccines
• Transgender Hormone Therapy
• Women's Health Care

With or without insurance, you can always come to us for your health care.