Faith, Family and a Foster Care Village

Audrea Medina, Managing Editor for The Waxahachie Sun, recently visited The Foster Care Village in Itasca, Texas. She visited with PCHAS Staff and a foster mom caring for children at The Village. We hope you'll take a moment to read her article and visit www.waxahachiesun.com to stay up-to-date on news and events in Waxahachie, Ellis County, and the surrounding areas.

PCHAS: Faith, Family and a Foster Care Village

By AUDREA MEDINA

Managing Editor

Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services – more commonly known as PCHAS – began in 1903 when a young mother, dying of tuberculosis, met with the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas to arrange for the care of her four children upon her death. Two years later, the newly founded orphanage moved to Itasca, just one mile, as the crow flies, from the Ellis County line. Growing exponentially across Texas and into parts of Missouri and Louisiana, PCHAS has set a high standard for its mission to offer caring support for children and families in crisis.  

In 2002, PCHAS merged with Presbyterian Children’s Services (PCS) in Waxahachie to serve single parents, youth transitioning to adulthood, foster families, and those experiencing trauma in the community. Since then, the connection between the two has remained deeply rooted and single-minded. 

For Travis Jones, who serves as Director of Outreach and Community Engagement for PCHAS, the mission is simple but profound: strengthen families, restore hope, and honor God in every step of the journey. 

Jones spoke with warmth, humility, and deep conviction about the work he and his colleagues are doing across Texas. His heart is firmly planted in the communities PCHAS serves, including Waxahachie’s neighboring Foster Care Village in Itasca, a first of its kind in Texas. 

Nestled on over 500 acres, the village was a long-time fixture as a group home. In March of 2020, PCHAS made the switch to function as independent homes within a village-like setting and community. Comprised of a little red schoolhouse, six houses, a gym, pool, chapel, playground, community center, endless grassy play areas, outdoor basketball courts, and a youth center, this little subset truly is a community built around the concept of foster families doing and living life together, both independently and collectively. 

The six different homes are comprised of all manner of sizes. Some have just a few bedrooms, while several of the bigger homes have seven to eight bedrooms. One of the main goals of the Foster Care Village is to try to ensure sibling groups stay together, which is more feasible within a larger home setting. It does occur, sometimes, where a home will have room for most of the children in a family, but an older sibling will be housed just down the road. In this environment, the siblings are not hours away from each other, but remain close enough to see each other daily, hang out, and even share meals within their respective homes. 

Children who come through the Foster Care Village setting attend public school and church with their foster family, and receive services designed to mitigate gaps in their educational history. 

The picturesque little red schoolhouse is the epicenter of after-school life, focusing on leveling each student to their prescribed grade. This learning center is the only one of its kind in the PCHAS system.  

According to Theresa McLachlan, Learning Center Coordinator, three accredited tutors, current and retired educators, set up focused educational treatment plans for each child. “We give enrichment in academic gap areas after we evaluate and create a learning curriculum for each child.” 

She also volunteered. “We tutor and help with homework so we can figure out exactly where the student is struggling and where we can adjust.” She further acknowledged, “We want them to do well in school, but that’s not all. Many come through who need a little extra practice with basic social skills, too.” 

Some of the children have never participated in a family game night, so in addition to science, math, and language arts, McLachlan designates special game nights with UNO, Candyland and Monopoly as some of the favorites. “You’d be surprised what kind of social skills one can learn during these games – common courtesies like taking turns and good sportsmanship.” 

There is considerable room to deviate into more creative areas of study during the summer months when school is out. The little red schoolhouse bursts with science projects, art, geodes, terrariums, painting, and crystals, according to McLachlan. 

One of the favorite programs for the children is “Book Buddies.” Three times a year, a donor can send a book to a child they have been paired with, either based on a specific request or chosen from a grade-appropriate list. 

There is even a book of the month, which focuses on things like learning kindness or a specific social skill to help train and equip children with life skills. 

“The Foster Care Village is family-focused and family-centered, offering an authentic, stable environment for children whose backgrounds may be the exact opposite,” shared Charlene Jackson, Program Director. 

“It’s a big calling, a ministry of sorts, and not one to be entered lightly,” explained Travis Cutbirth, Foster Care & Adoption Guide. He gives virtual tours of the Foster Care Village to families who are considering partnering with PCHAS. One of the current families has been fostering children for close to two decades. Others, like Shannon Hurst, who has been living and fostering in the village for over four years, rely heavily on “structure, scheduling and routine” which she explained are keys for both the foster children and parents to function in a place of peace and stability. 

Generally, children who come through the Foster Care Village live there for anywhere from 12-18 months, so finding a rhythm that works for everyone is essential. Hurst and her husband may house several different sibling groups at one time; she has created a system that works well in their home.  

Not only is housing provided for the foster families in the village, but the surrounding community takes a vested interest in ensuring the foster parents have what they need to provide for the children’s needs. Local businesses, churches and individuals donate weekly: food, clothing, toys, and various other items. The community center stores donations that might be needed in a planned or middle-of-the-night placement. 

Jackson offered that the fostering process in their little community seems to work best when one parent stays home and manages the children’s daily routine while the other parent works outside the home. Because the houses are close enough and every family living there shares the same basic needs, she indicated that parents in the village step in to help each other. “An instance,” Jackson shared, “could be that one parent can’t be at the bus stop after school because of a doctor’s appointment, but another mom will meet them and take the kids to the playground area for a half hour until the first mom arrives. She’ll swing by the playground and pick up the child and continue home.” 

“Other times, if a child storms out of the house after an emotional outburst and marches down the road (the only one in/out), one parent may call another up the road, and that parent will come out and gently intervene.” 

She continued. “It’s a beautiful and unique way to do fostering because every single person in this community is here for the same reason. There is so much help and support because everyone is walking the same path.” 

The chapel serves as a training center and offers a Vespers service at Christmastime. Santa also comes to visit the children. Afterwards, families gather to share a meal in the community center. 

PCHAS staff work in an administrative building on-site, which offers foster families and children ready access to help navigating issues like paperwork, documentation, appointments and any other emergent issue a child may need. 

PCHAS is currently looking for two more committed families to fill the empty homes. Currently, there is a great need for fostering, especially for parents who are willing to take a broad range of ages. Cutbirth revealed that one of the most difficult sibling groups to place are those with an older adolescent/teen who has very young brothers and sisters. 

 The Foster Care Village setting provides a community of like-minded co-laborers who live out the daily hard work of loving, serving and nurturing children from hard places. It is made a little easier in this uniquely supportive setting.   

Jones shared, “I think God is opening doors so we can position ourselves better for the people we serve.” Supporting families in crisis, equipping foster parents with training and support and providing stable housing options for children and single-parent families are just some of the ways PCHAS is positively affecting the communities they serve. 

“We’re not just offering services—we’re building something bigger. Something rooted in grace.” 

With humility and heart, the team at PCHAS continue their quiet, faithful work—proving that sometimes, the most important ministries happen not in headlines, but in homes, and as one drives off the communal property, the evidence of a comprehensive home life is evident; bicycles of all sizes in each yard tells a story of children confidently at play. In an uncertain and often scary time, the Foster Care Village cushions children within a safe environment, coupled with an unwavering commitment to their well-being. They are able to simply focus on being kids. 

For more information on donating, becoming involved or how to become foster parents through the Foster Care Village, visit https://www.pchas.org/what-we-do/itasca. 

Foster Families find connection at The Village, and kids excel in a neighborhood where they are known and loved.

Right now, we have two openings for couples who want to nurture 5-6 children in foster care and are committed to keeping siblings together.

To learn more, Sign Up for a Virtual Tour of The Foster Care Village or Contact Travis Cutbirth.