Kids in CPS custody with nowhere to go get help from 2 Kingwood women

HOUSTON - There are some children in Child Protective Services custody who have nowhere to go and no hope left.

"These kids have seen family members murdered, they have been sexually trafficked, and they have been abused and neglected," said foster care volunteer Marla Wortman.

Many of them have no foster home to go to after being placed in the custody of CPS. That state agency calls them children without placement. They can spend days or weeks staying in CPS offices and hotels.

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"Many of these kids have told me, 'I'm here because no one wants me. I know I'm a child without a placement.' And that's very hard to hear," said foster care ministry leader Nanette Lynch.

"As more residential treatment centers were closing, and people were pulling out of being foster families, we were losing beds in our local area which increased how many kids did not have a place to go. We wanted to do something about that," Wortman said.

With the help of their church, Wortman and Lynch started Oasis Shelter. They take in kids in CPS custody with no placement and let them live in one of two apartments.

"We've had 33 kids in the last year," said Wortman.

"To be removed from your family, no matter how bad it is, it's still very unsettling and traumatic," Lynch said. "To put them over here with us, we have tried very hard to make it more of a home situation."

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"There are bad individuals in this line of work. There are caseworkers that really shouldn't be caseworkers," said Wortman. "But that is no different than doctors misleading their patients or attorneys that are yielding overuse of power."

These women say they see an average of 15 CPS caseworkers a day.

"These caseworkers we are having experience with really go above and beyond to build a bond with the kids, and help them feel seen and heard," Wortman said.

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"I've seen some things that are very scary, and the caseworkers are excellent at deescalating the situation," Lynch said.

On average, a CPS kid will stay at the Oasis Shelter for two weeks. Some get more attention than they've ever had in their lives.

"We have been told by the workers that they often leave better than they came," said Wortman.

"Just to feel valued, that's what we want more than anything," said Lynch. "They are valued by us."