Blog Archives - The Riverside Project

When you step into the world of child welfare, it can feel like learning a new language. Whether you’re a new volunteer, a church partner, a foster parent, or simply someone who wants to understand more, the chances are you’ve come across a sea of letters like DFPS, CPS, PMC, or TBRI® and wondered… what do these even mean?

This guide is a collection of simple, meaningful ways to say, “You’re not alone. We see you. We’re in it with you.”

Whether you’re a neighbor, friend, church, or business, these ideas help create rhythms of care that don’t overwhelm or overstep—but gently remind families that healing happens AS ONE.

“This doesn’t look like what I thought it would.” I hear this statement all the time.

Foster parents, by Texas law, can only use babysitters who are specially trained and certified to care for children in foster care.

As a foster parent, you will have people who love you and people who get you. And sometimes, those who love you the most may get you the least.

It’s our responsibility as foster parents to protect our kids. To protect their bodies, yes. But also to protect their stories.

With the holiday season in full swing, our team has been reflecting on the past year—the victories, the challenges, the lessons learned, and the connections formed.

It’s really pretty simple: God makes room for us, so we make room for others. When Christians resolve to extend to their neighbors the same love and welcome they have received from God, I believe the Kingdom is near at hand.

Kinship care occurs when extended relatives, such as grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins, and even close friends (referred to as “fictive kin”) provide homes for children who have been separated from their birth parents.