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At Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services (PCHAS), the journey to becoming a foster or adoptive family is one of the most meaningful — and sometimes overwhelming — paths a person can take. It requires paperwork, training, patience, and an unwavering sense of purpose. Families walking that road need someone in their corner. For families in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, that someone is Katy Phillips.
Katy Phillips serves as our Home Developer in Irving, bringing a rare combination of professional expertise, personal experience, and genuine passion for the families she serves.
Katy holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Texas at Arlington, with a specialized focus on children and families — and her career has always reflected that calling. From schools to hospitals, she has worked in behavioral health, social and emotional learning, and home development at child-placing agencies. Each chapter of her career has deepened her commitment to supporting families and strengthening the communities around them.
"I have always been drawn to work that supports families and strengthens communities," Katy shares. "Working alongside foster parents through this process is incredibly meaningful to me."
As a Home Developer, Katy leads the verification process for prospective families. It is a detailed, multi-step journey that can feel daunting, but Katy has a refreshingly warm philosophy about her role in it.
"I like to think of my role in this process as the cheerleader and the question-answerer," she says. "They have to do all the tedious paperwork and training, and I just try to make it as straightforward and encouraging of a process as possible."
That spirit of encouragement isn't just a style choice — it's a reflection of what Katy has witnessed in the foster families she's supported throughout her career.
If you ask Katy what's changed the way she does her job, she'll point directly to the foster parents themselves. "Foster families learn early on to be flexible, and they usually have a pretty sunny disposition even when they are doing hard work," she says. "Their resilience and patience are inspiring to me."
It's the kind of mutual respect that makes for truly great partnership — and exactly the energy PCHAS strives to bring to every family's journey.
Katy also holds a unique perspective because, in addition to being a Licensed Master Social Worker, she has also been a foster parent. That dual lens shapes everything about how she approaches home development.
Her LMSW training has given her a strong foundation in trauma-informed care, child development, and family systems — and her lived experience as a foster parent gives those clinical frameworks a deeply human dimension. "This allows me to approach home development from a clinical and relational perspective," she explains, "ensuring families meet minimum standards as well as helping them understand the emotional and developmental needs of children in care through a trauma-informed lens."
At PCHAS, we are guided by Christ’s love to empower children, young adults and families by nurturing their strengths, resilience, and faith. Katy Phillips embodies that mission from the inside out. We are honored to have her as part of our team and excited for the families who will benefit from her guidance, expertise, and whole-hearted encouragement.
If you're considering foster care or adoption we'd love to meet you! Call or Text (940) 557-5511 or Join an Online Info Session to learn more.
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