Harris County Approves $16 Million Facility to Serve Children Without Placement
Harris County is taking a major step to address one of the foster care system’s toughest challenges—children in state custody who have no safe place to stay. During the July 10 Harris County Commissioners Court meeting, leaders approved a $16 million initiative to build the county’s first dedicated, temporary residential facility at Burnett Bayland Park in Precinct 4.
Amanda Jones, Director of Government and Public Affairs for The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD, told court members: “The Health and Human Services Commission reached out to us about a funding opportunity for a new facility to serve children with outplacement and the Child Protective Services system. After months of negotiations, The Harris Center will be receiving $8 million to construct a facility at the Children’s Campus in Precinct Four.”
Jones emphasized that the effort represents a broad collaboration among The Harris Center, Harris County Precinct Four, Juvenile Probation, Harris County Resources for Children and Adults, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, and the Department of Family and Protective Services.
“The new facility… will be a great opportunity and an improvement in the system that serves the most vulnerable youth in Harris County and I want to thank the County for its partnership," said Jones.
A Growing Need for Temporary Placements
Each month, about 100 children in the Texas foster care system are designated Children Without Placement (CWOP), meaning there is no foster home or relative available to take them in. Historically, these youth have been housed in emergency shelters, caseworker-supervised offices, or even hotels.
The problem accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic when statewide CWOP numbers spiked from around 50 children per month to as many as 400. Even with recent state action, including staffing enhancements and improved placement search protocols. Harris County still reported more than a dozen CWOP youth on a single night in July.
The challenge is compounded by the characteristics of foster care in Harris County. According to a Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine foster care needs assessment, 62% of Region 6 foster children live in Harris County, with a disproportionate number being African American (37%) compared to the statewide rate of 22%. Placement instability is also common, with foster children experiencing an average of 2.8 placement changes during their time in care, and youth aging out of care facing as many as 6.5 moves.
These disruptions have lasting consequences. Foster children are twice as likely to suffer from chronic physical conditions and are 2.5 times more likely to have a mental health or developmental disorder diagnosis than their peers. The new facility will provide a stable environment for up to 16 children for up to 30 days, including wraparound behavioral health support, while DFPS works to find long-term placements.
Burnett Bayland Park Transformation
The facility is part of a broader redevelopment of Burnett Bayland Park, a 75-acre Precinct 4 property undergoing major upgrades including new soccer fields, an event lawn, and accessibility improvements. The County’s in-kind contribution, valued at $8 million, will include infrastructure improvements supporting both the temporary housing facility and other community amenities.
Renovations to an existing park facility will provide immediate temporary housing by early 2026, while the permanent facility is expected to open in summer 2027. The facility will also house an expanded Youth Diversion Center, which has already helped lower juvenile recidivism for more than 150 youth since May 2023.
Stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for updates on the facility’s construction, foster care system changes, and ongoing community impacts in Harris County.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
