BCFS HHS HISTORY TIMELINE

An Unmet Need

rESTRUCTURE TO bcfs

aDDITION OF pROJECT aNGEL fARES

a SHIFT IN A NEW DIRECTION

aDDITION OF hUMAN tRAFFICKING iNTERDICTION

bAPTIST cHILDRTEN AND fAMILY sERVICES

bAPTIST cHILDRENS hOME mINISTRIES

2022

2017

2020

1943

1997

2013

1993

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The Evolution of BCFS HHS

Mexican BaPTIST oRPHANS hOME OF tEXAS

1945

BCFS Health and Human Services had its unofficial beginning in 1943 when three orphaned Mexican American children were denied admittance into orphanage homes due to segregation laws in the country. Compelled to action by this unmet need, Texas Baptists moved to fill the need for permanent housing.

To fulfill this unmet need, a group of local business leaders, including the founder of H-E-B Grocery Company, and baptist clergy, established the Mexican Baptist Orphans Home of Texas. This group secured land near Lackland Air Force Base to fulfill their dream of developing a home for orphaned children of Mexican descent.

In 1997, the Baptist General Convention of Texas approved a new umbrella to manage the expansion of programs. That new entity, Baptist Child & Family Services, equipped us to broaden our scope of services to meet the ever-growing needs of children and families with a vast array of programs.

In 2017, the Human Trafficking Interdiction division, or HTI, was added under BCFS Health and Human Services to serve sex-trafficked children and youth. Since launching, services have expanded to include all ages and all forms of trafficking.

In 2022, BCFS Health and Human Services restructured with 2 of its previous divisions spitting from the legacy company to become their own 501(c)(3) organizations. Now, BCFS Health and Human Services consists of three separate and distinct divisions dedicated to helping to build a community that empowers, impacts, and helps meet the needs of those we serve: Human Trafficking Interdiction Division (HTI), Project Angel Fares, and the Community Service Division (CSD).

In 1993, under its existing name of Baptist Children's Home Ministries, the agency began to move beyond the bounds of emergency extended residential services, expanding its reach to include services that strengthen families through its Community-Based Services Division.

In May 2020, Project Angel Fares joined BCFS Health and Human Services. Project Angel Fares serves families who have a child with a disability or special needs and otherwise would not be able to afford the opportunity to visit San Antonio, Morgan's Wonderland, & Inspiration Island. This new division provides these families with a four day, three night trip to visit these attractions with paid travel expenses.

After 16 years, Baptist Child & Family Services restructured into BCFS Health and Human Services, or BCFS HHS.