By Kelly Lawson
Methodist Children’s Home (MCH) is continuing its impact in Waco and surrounding areas by expanding its foster care program, with the Waco program launching in spring 2025, through the Waco MCH Family Outreach office located at 524 W. Waco Drive. This initiative completes a strategic goal to provide the ministry’s full continuum of care in Waco, ensuring more children find safe, nurturing and Christian homes while receiving the specialized support they need.
The foster care program trains and equips foster families and kinship families to open their hearts and homes to children who cannot live with their parents due to a variety of family circumstances. At the heart of MCH is its mission to equip children, youth, and families to flourish through Christ-centered relationships, services, and support. Foster care is an integral part of that mission, providing a temporary, loving home for children while helping families navigate challenges. Foster placements typically range from six to 18 months, while caregivers work through the situations that necessitated the child’s placement outside of the home.
“For more than a century, Methodist Children’s Home has remained committed to serving children and families,” said Trey Oakley, president and CEO of MCH. “The addition of foster care in Waco is a significant step in our mission to support vulnerable children in this community. We want to ensure that every child who comes into our care has a safe, loving environment where they can thrive.”
The foster care program at MCH is licensed by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and accredited by the Council on Accreditation, ensuring foster families and children receive the highest quality of care.
In addition to Waco, MCH currently operates foster care programs in Abilene, Dallas, and Tyler. The Waco expansion is a response to the growing need for licensed foster families in the area.
When children enter foster care, they often experience upheaval that extends beyond being removed from their home. If there is not a licensed home available in their own community, they may be placed far from home, lose connections to friends, and be forced to change schools. This also makes family visits more challenging. This expansion will help provide more foster homes locally, allowing children to remain in familiar surroundings when possible.
“Waco has always been home for MCH, and we know the need for foster families here is great,” Oakley said. “By expanding our foster care services, we can support more children and youth, and provide families with the tools and resources to grow stronger.”
One of the challenges in expanding foster care in Waco has been recruiting families who may feel overwhelmed by the unknowns. “One of the challenges I have seen recruiting foster families in Waco is that there is a hesitancy to consider becoming a foster family due to the uncertainties of what fostering entails and the lack of knowledge of the available support throughout the process,” said Lauren Daniels, case manager in the Waco MCH Family Outreach office.
Unlike many foster care programs, MCH offers a unique approach that includes both contracted placements through state agencies as well as voluntary foster care placements from parents and guardians seeking temporary care for their children. This flexibility allows MCH to meet a broad range of needs while prioritizing the well-being and best interests of children.
A core value of the program is family reunification whenever possible. While some children ultimately find permanency through adoption, MCH emphasizes that every foster care placement begins with the goal of reuniting children with their biological families if it is safe to do so.
Family reunification often prioritizes a child’s well-being by restoring their connection to family, culture and community. Through parent support and case management, families are given the tools they need to build on their strengths and provide a healthy and safe home. At MCH, this commitment is grounded in Christian faith, believing in the power of redemption and restoration and the hope that families can be whole again.
“We don’t just train foster families—we equip them with an understanding that foster care is about providing a safe, loving environment for children while their parents work toward reunification,” said Kristy George, MCH Family Outreach director. “This can be challenging for those who are adoption-motivated, but it’s critical to recognize that the ultimate goal is to restore families whenever possible.”
Traci Wagner, vice president for programs at MCH, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that faith plays a role in guiding foster families through uncertainty. “The bright spots in foster care are found in the ability to step into places where many people won’t go,” Wagner said. “We see God at work in these situations, bringing families together and healing in ways we never imagined possible.”
In recent years, the needs of children entering foster care have become more complex. “The children who need out-of-home placement are coming in with more complex needs than ever before,” Wagner said. “There are a lot of children entering the system who have experienced harm and complex trauma. The level of training and preparation required for foster parents is at an all-time high.”
In addition to providing stable homes, foster families must be ready to navigate medical, emotional, and educational challenges. “People often don’t understand the complexities of the system until they’re in it,” Wagner said. “When you sign up to be a foster parent, you become part of a system that has many moving pieces. You are part of a care team for the child, and decisions are made with multiple stakeholders involved. That can be a difficult adjustment for people who are used to making decisions independently for their own families.”
The program at MCH is designed to fully support families at every step of their fostering experience. MCH provides training and licensing to prepare foster parents for the journey; ongoing monitoring and guidance to ensure children are adjusting well; regular check-ins and home visits from MCH staff; a per diem reimbursement to assist with the cost of care; and daycare assistance for foster parents who work outside the home.
“Foster care is more than providing a home—it’s about offering stability, love, and hope to children who need it most,” George said. “We are thrilled to bring these services to Waco and connect with families who have a heart for fostering.”
Daniels added that the relationships formed in the process can be transformative. “In what is often a time of uncertainty and chaos, as a case manager, we get a chance to be a positive and consistent adult in a child and foster family’s life,” she said. “I know that having a trusting and supporting adult in one’s life and experience of foster care can make a big difference. To have a chance to be an example of that and help equip and support foster homes to be that as well is very meaningful to me.”
At MCH, foster care seeks to equip children with the tools and support they need to succeed long-term. No matter their length of stay, MCH focuses on preparing children for adulthood, by providing educational and vocational support.
“We are intentional about helping children develop resilience and life skills so they can succeed beyond foster care,” Wagner said. “Through education, counseling, and mentorship, we walk alongside them, ensuring they have the resources and relationships needed to thrive.”
This holistic, faith-centered approach sets MCH apart, emphasizing not just immediate care, but also long-term empowerment. “God goes before us, and we are here to support families every step of the way,” Wagner added.
Wagner stressed the importance of faith and trust in the fostering process. “One thing I tell prospective foster parents is that 100 percent of the time, God already knows the children who are meant to come into their homes. He is already putting those pieces in place. Our role is to be willing and to trust in His plan.”
As part of the screening process, families interested in serving through the MCH foster program are required to be actively involved in a faith community. This helps ensure they have the spiritual and emotional resources needed to support children in their care, guided by biblical principles. MCH also stresses the importance of the foster family having a robust support network outside of MCH, such as extended family and faith communities, for encouragement when they come up against the more challenging moments of fostering.
“MCH is distinct in that our faith informs everything we do,” Oakley said. “We believe every child is created with purpose, and we want to give them every chance possible to be surrounded by a supportive, Christian community.”
By adding foster care services in Waco, MCH reaffirms its commitment to being a pillar of support for children in need. This program will provide countless children with loving homes while empowering foster families with the resources and guidance necessary to succeed.
MCH invites individuals and families interested in fostering to learn more about this rewarding opportunity. Orientation sessions provide valuable insight into the foster care process and the ways MCH supports its foster and kinship families.
For more information on becoming a foster parent or kinship parent or supporting the foster care program at MCH, please visit MCH.org or contact an MCH Family Outreach office near you.
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