In fall 2022, we shared the story of Isaiah House, an organization providing comfort and care for children while they await foster care placement.

At the time of that writing, there were 8 such centers open in the country, with numerous more in the works, including one to serve our area.

The Montgomery and Walker County Isaiah 117 House celebrated their kickoff event on April 30^th, 2022. Krista Patton and her core team of 9 individuals from both counties and all walks of life hosted the event to raise awareness about the foster care system, Isaiah 117 House, and their mission.

After much work, planning, prayer, and construction, the Montgomery/Walker County, TX Isaiah 117 House is complete and is the 30^th such facility to open!  For more information or to find out how you can help, visit facebook.com/isaiah117housemontgomerywalkertx.

The Purpose of Isaiah 117 House

When children are removed from their homes out of concern for their safety, they are usually brought to a child welfare services office to await placement. This wait can be a few hours to several days. These children often have nothing with them and are scared, lonely, hungry, and in dirty clothing.

Isaiah 117 provides a comforting home where these children instead can be brought to wait – a place that is safe with friendly and loving volunteers who provide clean clothes, smiles, toys, and snuggly blankets. This space allows children to receive the comfort and care they need while child welfare staff can do the necessary paperwork and identify a good placement.

The mission of Isaiah 117 House is threefold:

• reduce trauma for children awaiting placement
• lighten the load for child welfare services
• ease the transition for foster families

Isaiah 1:17 says, “defend the cause of the fatherless.” That is what God was calling me to do. I saw a team of volunteers on call to greet “the least of these” when they need love most. I saw a place always ready to take in children in their time of need and lavishly love on them on one of their worst days. This was the dream for the Isaiah 117 House in February of 2017.

I believe these homes have the potential to positively affect the children who are coming into custody in ways far beyond what we could ever imagine, as well as support the caseworkers and future foster families who are a part of their journey. I believe these homes change the way foster care begins.

– Ronda Paulson, Founder and Executive Director