From Time to Time Part 8

By JASON CURRY
President, TBHC

​For 115 years, this ministry has been shaped by faith, faithfulness and moments both ordinary and extraordinary. In this series From Time to Time, I have tried to help shape your view of the ministry you have built and invested in through your time, love and resources.
 
I hope you have come to know that TBHC is more than a foster care and adoption agency. We are your co-laborers in equipping your church for providing a holistic family ministry. We may not be the ministry you think we are, we are so much more.
 
DIFFERENT METHODS, SAME MISSION
While working on my book, I came across something written by Bro. Ted Johnson. As I read his words, I smiled. It sounded very much like something I would have written myself. The challenges were different. The circumstances were different. The world was different. Yet his heart for children, his trust in God's leadership and his willingness to embrace change for the sake of ministry felt remarkably familiar.
 
That reminded me of an important truth. The vision of those who came before us continues to impact generations that follow. And I believe, God willing, the choices we make today will be no different.
 
One of the biggest changes impacting Texas Baptist HOPE for Children right now is something most people will never see. It is a change in how the State of Texas reimburses organizations that care for children.
 
THEN
For many years, the reimbursement methodology used by the state remained largely unchanged. In fact, the framework that guided foster care funding was put into place in 1984 during the leadership of men like Bro. Ted Stanley. For over forty years, organizations like ours learned how to serve children within that model.
 
NOW
In 2025, Texas began implementing Texas Child-Centered Care, or T3C, a completely new approach to foster care funding and services. Rather than focusing primarily on service levels, T3C seeks to match resources and services to the individual needs of each child through specialized assessments and service packages. (Yes, it is a mouthful).
 
We were invited to help pilot this new endeavor and were given about three weeks to build the application process and a few months to prepare for implementation. It was a tremendous undertaking with a very short timeline, all while continuing to operate the existing program. I could not be more proud of our staff and the way they rose to the challenge.
 
So, at first glance, some might assume that increased reimbursement means increased resources for organizations like TBHC. But there is another side to the story.
 
The new model also carries new financial expectations.
 
For example, there was a time when retaining nursing services was not part of our normal operating structure. Today, as the needs of children are better identified and new standards of care are implemented, that type of support has become a requirement. Funding has increased but so have the costs associated with providing that level of care. That is true across many areas of our ministry.

The more things change, the more I realize that our mission has not.

THE VERY SAME NEED
One hundred fifteen years ago, faithful people saw children who needed hope, stability and a future. Today, we see the very same need. The methods may change. The regulations may change. The funding formulas may change. But children still need loving families. They still need people who believe in them. They still need the hope that can only be found in Christ.
 
I am grateful that TBHC has often been invited to help pilot new initiatives and models across our state. We do not take that lightly. We consider it an honor. More importantly, it is a reflection of the people who serve here every day.
 
Our staff invest their lives helping children heal and helping families succeed. They adapt, learn, innovate and persevere, all while keeping the child at the center of everything they do. Their commitment is one of the reasons others trust TBHC to help shape what comes next.
 
As followers of Christ, we understand that stewardship is not merely preserving what has been handed to us. Stewardship is faithfully using what God has entrusted to us to meet today's challenges while remaining faithful to today's calling.
 
“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2)
 
I believe that describes the generations who led before us. I pray it will describe us as well.
 
I am thankful for the men and women whose vision carried this ministry through difficult seasons, changing cultures, and countless challenges. Because they were faithful, children found hope. Families found support. Lives were changed.
 
Today is simply our turn.
 
AN INVITATION
Would you pray for the children we serve, the families opening their homes, and the staff who walk alongside them each day?
 
Would you pray for wisdom as we navigate significant changes in our system of care?
 
That together we can remain faithful to the calling He has placed before us?
 
If you would like to learn more about Texas Child-Centered Care (T3C), visit the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services website: https://www.dfps.texas.gov/Texas_Child_Centered_Care/rates.asp
 
Next month I will conclude my From Time to Time series as we finish celebrating 115 years of ministry. We may not be the ministry you think we are; we are so much more!

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Memorials & Honorariums

An Expression of Everlasting Love 
Many of our friends choose to honor or remember a family member, a friend or an associate with a gift for the children of TBHC. Texas Baptist Hope for Children, in turn, notifies the appropriate person. Listed in bold letters are those honored or remembered from Jul. 1, 2026 to Jul. 31, 2026.

​ENDOWMENTS
BILL STOKES & MYRA STOKES

HONORARIUMS
MESHELLE CLEMENTS: Weldon & Lana Sparks
CHERRI EICHEL: Weldon & Lana Sparks
CLARK KEIFER: Mr. & Mrs. Leon Ross
DIANA & ALLEN LENNOX: Mr. & Mrs. Leon Ross
BRO. BRIAN MILLER: Ebenezer Friendship Baptist Church
BRITTANY & KEVIN PHILLEY: Mr. & Mrs. Leon Ross
MR. & MRS. LEON ROSS: Golden Wedding Anniversary

MEMORIALS
WAYNE COOK: Charles & Charlotte Johnson, Rosewood Baptist Church
CECIL DOWNEY: Carlie Downey
BUDDY & LULU HAZELL: Cheryl Briscoe
SUSAN HUTCHISON: Charles & Charlotte Johnson
CHARLIE LAMBERT: Charles & Charlotte Johnson, Rosewood Baptist Church
CYNTHIA RANEY MONTGOMERY: Bobby & Emily Oliver, Rick & Angy Bruce, Lila Wilson, Lana Shivers, Patti McAlister, Jackie Justiss & family
LOVITA OUIMET: James Ouimet
PAT, SAWN & NATHANIEL: Shari Moore
MIKE POWELL: Larry & Rolanda Barton, Charles & Charlotte Johnson, Rosewood Baptist Church
NADINE RODRIGUEZ: Charles & Charlotte Johnson
SOPHIA & JETT: Tiphany Hood
ANN WILBOURN: Larry & Sennette Nelms
BARBARA WILSON: Adult Sunday School Class of Mahl Baptist Church

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