Therapeutic Foster Care The Children's Shelter Foster Care Program provides children with 24-hour substitute therapeutic family care in private homes. These loving, warm, accepting and stable homes care for children who must be temporarily separated from their permanent home. The Foster Care Program recruits families from diverse backgrounds to fulfill each child's ethnic background. The Program provides training and support for potential parents.
Adoption The Shelter facilitates the adoption of children with special needs by recruiting, training, and representing prospective adoptive families to Child Protective Services in the hopes that the family is "matched" with children awaiting adoption. The Shelter provides support to children and adoptive families during every phase of the adoption process.
Basic requirements for Foster/Adoptive Parents:
Be at least 23 years old
Be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident
Be financially self-sustaining
Be married, single, divorced or widowed
Consent to a criminal and abuse/neglect background check
Attend and adhere to the agency’s policy on discipline and behavior management
Attend required pre-service training
Complete CPR/First Aid Certification
Be in good emotional and mental health
Pass a fire and health inspection of your home
Have adequate sleeping space
Ready to offer love, care and safety to children in need
Inquiry Meetings are held on a scheduled basis between 9am-5pm, M-F or attend one the evening inquiry meetings held twice a month to answer your questions and provide you with additional information. All families interested in Foster Care and/or Adoption must attend an Inquiry Meeting. To get the next meeting date, please contact The Children’s Shelter. Inquiry Meetings are held at 2939 W. Woodlawn.
If you would like more information on how to help improve the lives of children in need through Foster Care and Adoption, contact us:
The Children’s Shelter Foster Care/Adoption Services (877) 212-2590
2939 W. Woodlawn San Antonio, TX 78228 (210) 212-2590
Foster parent of the month
have been active foster parents with The Children’s Shelter since 2005. Over the years, they have taken in children and adolescents who have been abused and neglected by their caregivers. They are firm in their decision to help our children have a safe and nurturing environment, while they learn to cope with the difficulty of being separated from their family. The Ypmas go to extra lengths to provide exceptional care of children and always go the extra mile to provide for any special needs the children may have. Sharon and Charles Ypma often take in sibling groups to help keep their family unit together and have even offered in the past to take in other immediate family members of that family unit. Sharon and Charles have adopted a child over the years and are in the process of adopting another child. Sharon and Charles Ypma are diligent about the work they do with our kids and are extremely cooperative with The Children’s Shelter staff. The Ypmas also have a very supportive extended family who help welcome the children into their family as if the children were their own. Their extended family provide extra help and support to Charles and Sharon when needed. Sharon and Charles Ypma have gained a lot of experience over the years as foster parents and have dedicated their lives to help give the children in their home a loving and stable home environment. The Children’s Shelter appreciates all the hard work the Ypmas have given to children in need.
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