At The Riverside Project, we often describe the foster care system as part of a fast moving river. Some children are at risk of falling in due to family instability, while others are already struggling to stay afloat.
Many of us are working to support children in The River. Some are working upstream to prevent families from being pulled in. Others are working downstream to guide children as they transition into adulthood.
By uniting everyone’s efforts, we can create a comprehensive community of support for Houston’s children and families.
National Foster Care Month isn’t just an awareness campaign. It’s an invitation. And this May, we’re asking Houston’s churches to help children and families in need find dry ground.
For the local church, foster care isn’t a niche issue. It’s foundational to our calling as Christ-followers and sits at the intersection of nearly every challenge churches already care about: poverty, family instability, homelessness, and the deep human need for belonging.
Here is the reality in Houston…
“The River” is moving faster than ever. In 2026, the landscape of child welfare in Houston is shifting in ways that matter deeply to the local church. Here’s what we’re seeing:
- 2,984 children are currently in foster care in Harris County
- On average, a child will spend 24 months in the system
- 40% of children in care are separated from their siblings
- Nearly 800 young adults age out of the Texas foster care system every year without a permanent family connection
- Over 55% of children enter care due to neglect — poverty, isolation, or a sudden crisis — not abuse
- Roughly 70% of kinship families are raising children without legal documentation or any state financial support
Texas is moving toward a Community-Based Care model, meaning the responsibility for supporting Houston’s most vulnerable children is returning to where it has always belonged: to neighbors, local organizations, and the church.
Your Church Has A Role This May
We believe that everyone has a place along The River. Not every person in your church is called to be a foster parent, but every person is called to do something.
Here is how your church can support the foster care community this May:
1. Dedicate One Sunday to Foster Care Awareness
Many members of your church might not think about the child welfare system regularly if they don’t know anyone involved in this community. However, taking one simple opportunity to make them aware of the challenges currently facing families in our city can change everything.
Dedicate a Sunday service in May to acknowledge foster and kinship families in your congregation, share a real-life story from the community, and extend a public invitation to get involved.
Need resources to get you started? Reach out to our Church Mobilization team and we will be happy to help.
2. Share the Campaign or Attend an Event
Share The Riverside Project’s May content through your church newsletter, bulletin, or social media. Expanding the conversation costs nothing and reaches further than you think.
We have micro-events and opportunities happening all month long. Be sure to keep up with everything happening at riversideproject.org/may.
3. Host a Showing of the ‘As One’ Documentary
Gather your congregation or leadership team to watch our Award-winning documentary — and let it open the conversation about what your church can do.
This video shares the stories of real children and families right here in Houston. It offers a glimpse into several different sides of our city’s foster care community and the kind of support that’s truly needed. Reading about the child welfare system and seeing statistics is one thing—but hearing these families tell their stories transforms numbers into real people with names, faces, and stories that stay with you.
We’d love to help you facilitate a showing of ‘As One’! Contact us to learn more here.
4. Contribute to the Campaign
May is always a big fundraising month for The Riverside Project. It’s an essential part of how we meet our annual budget goals, building the momentum needed to continue serving children and families here in our community.
This year, we have a goal to raise $125,000 during May.
Consider contributing a financial gift, together as a congregation, to support the work happening along The River. Every dollar helps us connect more families to resources, equip more caregivers, and strengthen Houston’s response to the needs of vulnerable children.
Help Families in Houston Thrive >>
5. Attend Church Leader Training on May 21st
On May 21st from 9am – 2pm, we’re gathering Houston-area church leaders for a training designed to help your congregation find its place along The River. Come meet others who are already doing this work, hear what’s possible, and leave with a concrete plan.
This is a free training, and lunch is provided.
Additional Resources
Everyone Can Do Something Guide
31 Creative Ways to Serve Foster and Adoptive Families
[WATCH OR LISTEN] How Any Church Can Serve Those Involved in Foster Care (feat. Mireya Scholes)
[WATCH OR LISTEN] A Heart of Hospitality (feat. Fr. Drew Knowles, Oak Forest Anglican Church)
[READ] 3 Considerations for Houston Churches Looking to Support the Foster Care Community