Foster Care in San Antonio, Texas: Becoming a Resource Family in Bexar County

San Antonio is the second-largest city in Texas by population — and one of the most faith-engaged, military-connected communities in the state. The city has a deep Catholic charitable tradition, a strong evangelical church network, and the densest concentration of military installations in the country. It's also a city where the demand for licensed foster families consistently outpaces supply. The 2026 CBC transition in Bexar County created a new entry point for applicants, and understanding it matters before you pick up the phone.

Who Manages Foster Care in Bexar County Now

San Antonio and Bexar County fall within Region 8A of the Texas DFPS framework. In March 2026, this region completed its go-live into Community-Based Care Stage II, with SJRC Texas / Belong as the Single Source Continuum Contractor (SSCC).

SJRC Texas (San Antonio Lighthouse for Christ) operates under the brand "Belong" as the regional CBC contractor. In Stage II, Belong handles both placement services and case management — which means foster families in Bexar County report their day-to-day contact to Belong caseworkers, not DFPS staff.

Practical implication: If you live in Bexar County and call DFPS to start the foster care application, you'll be redirected to Belong. Skip that step. Contact Belong directly.

South Central and Hill Country (Region 8B) — including areas like New Braunfels, Kerrville, and Seguin — is also managed by Belong, in Stage III. The same SSCC covers both regions.

JBSA: Military Families and Foster Care in San Antonio

Joint Base San Antonio (Lackland, Randolph, Fort Sam Houston) makes San Antonio home to one of the largest military communities in the United States. Military families are strong candidates for foster care licensing — they're accustomed to rigorous vetting processes, have stable employment, and often have established community support networks on and off base.

Two considerations are specific to JBSA households:

Privatized Military Housing: If you live in on-base or privatized military housing (such as Hunt Military Communities on the JBSA footprint), you need to confirm with your housing office that operating as a licensed foster care Resource Family is permitted under your housing agreement. Some privatized housing contracts have restrictions on pool use, trampolines, and home-based activities that don't automatically align with DFPS licensing requirements. The state does not waive its requirements for base housing — you need both to be compatible.

Pool and outdoor space regulations: Many JBSA housing units are newer construction, but pools may be shared (not in your yard) or prohibited. The Texas four-sided pool fence requirement may be moot for your specific unit, but check whether any shared recreational facilities — community pools, playgrounds — create liability questions under your foster care agreement.

The good news: Military OneSource provides adoption and foster care consultation for active-duty families, and Belong specifically has experience with JBSA households. Ask at intake whether they have a military liaison or specific guidance for base housing applicants.

The Faith Community Pipeline

San Antonio has a robust church-agency partnership infrastructure for foster care. Watermark Community Church's foster care and adoption ministry has a DFW chapter, but comparable organizations operate in San Antonio — including church networks affiliated with Catholic Charities Archdiocese of San Antonio, which works in partnership with licensed CPAs in the region.

If you're connected to a congregation that has an active foster care or adoption ministry, that church likely has a relationship with a specific CPA. That CPA will coordinate with Belong for placements but may offer a different training curriculum, more intensive support, and a peer community of other families in similar situations.

Church-affiliated agencies often have higher training requirements than the state minimum — which means more time invested before your first placement, but also more support after. The tradeoff is usually worth it.

What to Expect From the Stage II CBC Structure

At Stage II, Belong manages both placement matching and case management. This means:

• You work with Belong caseworkers for your day-to-day foster care contact
• The child's court case is also managed through Belong's case management team (not DFPS directly)
• Permanency decisions, court appearances, and service plan updates route through Belong's case managers

For prospective foster parents, the advantage of Stage II over Stage I is that there's a more unified chain of contact. You're not splitting your communication between the SSCC for placement and DFPS for case matters. The disadvantage is that Belong is still building out its Stage II systems — be prepared for some organizational adjustment during the first year.

Applying in San Antonio: The Process

The application process in Region 8A follows the same state requirements as everywhere in Texas:

Eligibility: Age 21+, financially self-sufficient (income sufficient without the stipend), single or partnered, renters or owners eligible.

Background checks: Full FACT check through IdentoGO — get your six-digit Service Code from Belong before scheduling. The $38.54 per-person fingerprinting fee applies to all adults in the household. Out-of-state checks required if you've lived outside Texas in the past two to five years.

Training: Belong uses a training curriculum aligned with state requirements, typically 30+ hours of pre-service training. In-person CPR and First Aid certification required.

Home study: Physical inspection under TAC Chapter 749 (locked medications, locked firearms with ammunition stored separately, four-sided pool fence if applicable, smoke and CO detectors, bedroom sizing) plus psychosocial interview sessions.

Verification timeline: Typically three to six months from first inquiry to verification, assuming no delays in background check routing or inspection.

What the San Antonio Foster Care Population Looks Like

Bexar County has a large Hispanic/Latino community — approximately 63% of the population. Children in foster care in San Antonio reflect this demographic: many primary placements involve Spanish-speaking children or children from communities where language and cultural continuity during placement is a significant need.

Texas requires cultural competency training for all Resource Families. In San Antonio, this isn't an abstract requirement — the practical skill of communicating with Spanish-speaking birth families, supporting a child's community ties, and working within the bilingual environment of Bexar County schools matters directly.

Belong has experience placing children with bilingual and Spanish-speaking families in Region 8A. If you're bilingual or have household members who are, that's worth mentioning during your intake conversation.

Connecting With Support in Bexar County

The Texas Foster Family Association (TFFA) maintains a regional directory of support resources, including Bexar County-specific support groups, legal aid referrals, and training opportunities. Belong is also contractually required to maintain a kinship support program and a family support network for their licensed families.

If you're considering fostering in San Antonio and want to understand exactly what Belong requires, how their SSCC structure interacts with private CPAs in the region, and how to prepare your home for the first inspection, the Texas Foster Care Licensing Guide includes the Region 8A contact information, the full application checklist, and a walkthrough of the Stage II CBC structure from the foster family's perspective.

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