This is one of the goals of Isaiah 117 House, which aims to reduce trauma for children who have been removed from their homes out of concern for their welfare and are waiting for placement with a foster family. The local nonprofit opened its house serving Montgomery and Walker counties in January.
Two-minute impact
Usually, when children are removed from their homes by Child Protective Services, they are brought to the department’s office, Miller said.
“A lot of the kiddos that are being picked up are dirty. They don't have clothes that fit. They might not have shoes on. They're in need of a bath often and caseworkers don't have the resources at the office to care for those needs,” Miller said.
The Isaiah 117 House serving Montgomery and Walker counties provides the children with a home, stocked with clean clothes, beds, food, bath items and toys, where they can stay instead.
How it works
The home, which has two bedrooms with one visitation space that can also serve as a private bedroom, can host multiple children or families at once as long as everyone is comfortable. During their time in the home, whether it spans a few hours or a few days, a child can choose what they’d like to do with their time, whether it be sleep, read or spend the entire day cooking, Miller said.
The home is equipped with play areas, a kitchen and a living room, as well as fully furnished bathrooms and bedrooms.
“We want to reduce trauma for the child on that removal day. So whatever that looks like—cooking, if that means swing[ing] on the swing set at 2 a.m.—we're going to go out and we're going to do that. If that means ... playing video games for six hours straight, we're not going to say ‘No’ at the Isaiah House,” Miller said.
The nonprofit also works to lighten the load for the caseworker who will stay at the house with the child and help ease the transition for the future foster family by ensuring kids walk out the door with clothes and other necessities like school supplies.
By the numbers
According to August data released by the Texas Department of Family Protective Services, there were 1,568 total children in foster care within Region 6, which includes Montgomery County. The following data was also reported:
- 179 children were reported to be in foster care in Montgomery County in August, according to DFPS data.
- 800 confirmed cases of child abuse were reported in Montgomery County in 2024.
- 53,543 confirmed cases of child abuse were reported around Texas in 2024.
The backstory
The Isaiah 117 House story began in Tennessee with founder and executive director Rhonda Paulson. Paulson and her husband, Corey, went through training to become foster parents, which is where they found out that children had to wait for placement at the Department of Children’s Services office. That’s where the first seed for the Isaiah 117 House was planted, according to the nonprofit’s website.
“I couldn't imagine a scared child sitting in such a sterile, cold environment waiting to learn their fate,” Paulson states on the Isaiah 117 House website.
The first Isaiah 117 House opened in Carter County, Tennessee, and Miller said there are 35 open homes in the U.S., with others in the works.
Looking ahead
Miller said the nonprofit is working to open an Isaiah 117 House in Brazoria County and is looking for land to create a location in Fort Bend County.
