After a tragic homicide, two young boys were placed in a shelter. They’d already spent 90 days there, the maximum allowed, and had nowhere else to go.
Every day, children across our city enter foster care—not because of a single event, but because of layers of challenges like housing instability, substance use, and poverty.
Foster care doesn’t exist in isolation, and neither can the solution.
At The Riverside Project, we believe healing happens when our city works together, as one. This is the story of what can happen when a community says yes to showing up for kids and families.
Responding to a Crisis
When the situation reached its breaking point, Tara Green, Founder of the Foster Care Advocacy Center, stepped in. Tara has spent more than a decade advocating for children and families in Houston’s child welfare system, but even with her deep experience, this case was one of the worst cases she had seen in over a decade of working in child welfare.
She knew these boys needed more than another placement. They needed stability, safety, and the consistent care of a family that could help them begin to heal.
Wanting to find the right next step, Tara reached out to Amber Knowles, Founder and Executive Director of The Riverside Project.
Finding the Right Family
“I don’t have a placement for them.”
Amber immediately felt the weight of that statement, given the situation of the two boys.
She began thinking of foster families who could open their home and provide the kind of care that would be needed.
One family came to mind quickly: Andy and Mackenzie Gray.
The Grays were seasoned foster parents and longtime friends of our team. They had already fostered and adopted three children, but experience had also taught them how complex a new placement could be, especially for children who have endured deep trauma.
So, Amber reached out to the Grays, trusting that their compassion, faith, and resilience could once again make room for healing to begin.
Giving the Children a Home
When Andy and Mackenzie Gray heard about the two boys, they didn’t say yes right away. They paused. Knowing from experience that opening your home also means opening yourself to the weight of someone else’s story.
They thought about their own children and the ways another placement could shape the rhythm of their family. They asked whether they were equipped to help these boys carry such heavy trauma, and whether God might be inviting them to do it anyway.
It wasn’t an easy decision. But the Grays did what they had done many times before when faced with uncertainty: they prayed, they talked honestly with their kids, and they chose to listen.
Their children’s response was simple but profound:
“You did this for us, so why wouldn’t we do it for someone else?”
In that moment, the Grays knew what they needed to do. They said yes. Not because it was convenient or easy, but because love had already shaped their family once before, and they believed it could do so again.
Providing Assurance the Placement was a Good Fit
Every placement is more than a decision. It’s the beginning of a relationship.
To help ensure this would be a good fit for both the Grays and the two boys, Michelle Hoevker from Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services, a child-placing agency, stepped in to guide the process. Michelle walked closely with the family through each introduction, visit, and conversation, creating space for honesty and care on both sides.
Her thoughtful approach helped everyone see the full picture: the boys’ needs, the Grays’ capacity, and the kind of long-term support that would make this placement successful.
In every story like this, the goal isn’t just to find a home. It’s to make sure a family and a child can truly begin to heal together. That’s what makes this kind of collaboration so powerful. When each person brings their piece of the puzzle, families find the stability and safety they deserve.
Providing Ongoing Support
The story didn’t end when the boys walked through the Grays’ front door. Healing after trauma takes time. And no family should have to do that work alone.
Even the most experienced foster parents know that love is essential, but it isn’t always enough. The challenges of helping a child heal require community, guidance, and steady support.
As final details were being worked out, Amber made one more phone call. This time to Jenni Lord, Founder of Chosen Care. Chosen exists to walk alongside parents and caregivers with practical tools, coaching, and encouragement to help families build connection and reduce challenging behaviors.
From day one, Jenni and her team surrounded the Gray family with care. Offering wisdom, resources, and presence when things felt hard. Their commitment became one of the key threads holding this story together, giving the Grays the confidence that they didn’t have to do this on their own.
“You can have all the love in the world, but that only goes so far. You are going to hit a lot of walls. You need support. You need people around you.” – Mackenzie Gray
At The Riverside Project, we often say:
“Things that matter are hard, but we don’t have to do them alone.”
This story is one of many across our city.
Stories of heartbreak met with hope. Stories of brokenness met with belonging.
When we come together as one, families find the strength to heal, and children find the stability they deserve.
When each of us takes up our place along The River, we can create a city-wide support system that leads to family flourishing.
Imagine each of us holding a single thread. Made up of our skills, connections, care, and compassion. On its own, one thread can’t hold much weight. But when our threads are woven together, they form something strong enough to hold up an entire community. A thread that creates a web of safety and support for families across our city.
Each of us has a role to play, and each one matters. Together, we can transform Houston’s foster care system. Are you ready to Find Your Place?
P.S. Want to learn more about how Foster Care connects to the many social issues impacting families across our city? Check out a recent article: From Prevention to Restoration: Supporting Families at Every Stage of the Foster Care Journey