Our Programs: Foster Care

The Foster Care Program of Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services (PCHAS) serves children who need short-term or long-term placement outside of their families.

Children reside in the private neighborhood homes of our trained and certified foster parents. All children attend public school, receive spiritual guidance and Christian nurture, and are able to receive individual and family counseling services as needed.

PCHAS carefully screens, selects, trains, supervises and supports qualified foster families in the community to provide high-quality care to children in a family environment. PCHAS closely matches foster family characteristics with the unique needs of each child, giving placements a strong opportunity to be successful.

In January 2010, PCHAS began offering foster care and maternity and adoption services in the Houston area when Homes of St. Mark, a well-known children's charity, merged into our agency. The Houston program serves children through foster and foster-to-adopt homes and helps children and birth families through our maternity, adoption and post-adoption services.

 

Program Locations
PCHAS operates foster homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Wichita Falls, Houston and Longview. Please contact the PCHAS Foster Care administrative offices at 1-800-277-4352 for a list of geographical areas currently served. For information about Houston foster/adoption services, call 713-522-2800 or 800-543-2229.

 

Who We Serve
The Foster Care Program serves children from infancy to age 17 at the time of admission. PCHAS structures its therapeutic services to help children who experience social and emotional difficulties, developmental delays, learning problems and behavioral challenges. The program is not appropriate for children who are actively suicidal, who are active fire setters, or whose needs are so intense they require regular 24-hour awake supervision.

Foster Care Program Services

• Family living environment
• 24-hour crisis intervention
• Case management services
• Regular visits to child and foster home by agency staff
• Individualized service planning
• Monthly review of placement goals and progress
• Psychological and diagnostic appraisals
• Counseling and therapy services
• Medical and dental care
• Psychiatric evaluations as needed
• Appropriate regular and special educational placements, including tutoring when necessary
• Supports child’s long-term plan for reunification with family, adoption or preparation for independent living
• Advanced Education/Aftercare services for youth who successfully complete the program

Treatment Team
Our multidisciplinary team creates Individualized Service Plans (ISP) for each child, incorporating input from the child, the child’s managing conservator, the foster family and agency staff. The plan often reflects recommendations from other members of the professional team, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, chaplain, therapists, school personnel, attorneys ad litem and CASA workers.

Placement Information
PCHAS offers both planned foster placements and emergency placements, based on the availability of foster homes and the needs of children. Unless otherwise requested, siblings are placed together whenever possible.