Boysville, the Home with a Heart, was founded in 1943 as a result of Rev. Don Holiman’s observation of orphaned, homeless and abandoned boys sleeping in San Antonio’s Travis Park. The local police picked these boys up from the park in an effort to provide some safety and shelter for them. But because they had no other place to take them, the police took them to a detention center even though they had not committed a crime. Holiman knew someone needed to help these boys, and thus Boysville was born.

Throughout the years, the mission remained constant. Boys came from broken homes and abusive situations. They were provided a safe caring home and a chance to gain an education.  In 1986, in an effort to keep siblings together, Boysville began accepting girls into the program. Later in 1995, Boysville added an emergency shelter to allow for the placement of boys and girls coming from a crisis situation. In 2004, again to continue meeting the needs of families, Boysville expanded its continuum of care by accepting its first infants onto the campus as a sibling group of five needed immediate help. Boysville now cares for children of all ages, birth through college or vocational school. The mission is simply stated, “Helping boys and girls become responsible adults.” Boysville has a unique policy of never turning away a child for lack of financial resources.

Mission

Provide a safe, family environment for children in need so they may become responsible adults.

Boysville Auxiliary Thrift Store

307 W Olmos Dr.
San Antonio, TX 78212
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday – Saturday
(210) 826-2195

Contact Us

Office Hours

Monday – Friday
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Phone: (210) 659-1901

Fax: (210) 659-6527

PROGRAMS:

1

Emergency Shelter

At Boysville’s Emergency Children’s Shelter, children are welcomed into a home-like setting with a large common room and dining room, semi-private bedrooms and bath and recreational areas. Most children arrive only with the clothing they are wearing. Upon arrival, each child receives new clothing and shoes. The emergency children’s shelter provides around-the-clock-awake staff for maximum safety and support. Children living in the shelter will attend a school in the Judson Independent School District unless otherwise directed by the court system. In some cases, children will remain at the school they attended prior to being placed at Boysville to reduce the amount of school disruptions. Boysville’s Emergency Shelter is known for accepting large sibling groups so that they may stay together in times of stress. Lovelace Emergency Cottage cares for infants and toddlers. Ellison Emergency Cottage cares for children and teens, 5-17.
2

Residential Foster Care

The foundation of all of our programs is our Residential Foster Care Program based on our campus. Our family-centered cottages provide a safe, structured family environment that helps prevent and resolve social and emotional problems long term. Our residential program has been nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation since 2000. Our campus is immersed in trauma-informed care and services. All of our directors are TBRI® certified practitioners who train all staff to see the “whole child” in their care and help that child reach their highest potential. Each cottage provides long-term care for up to 32 children from ages 5 through 17 years old.
3

Supervised Independent Living

Boysville’s Supervised Independent Living Program provides transitional services to youth aging out of foster care. Housing, food allowance and living expenses are provided as well as case management through Boysville’s SIL program. Young adults attending college or vocational school are eligible for scholarships offered through the Boysville Foundation to help offset additional expenses. Therapeutic services and medication management are offered to those needing or requesting additional help. The goal is for each young adult to leave the program with life skills allowing them to become independent and successful adults
4

Foster Care and Adoption

Our foster care and foster to adopt program is licensed to recruit and train families to become foster care parents. Our directors are TBRI® certified practitioners. We provide our foster families with wrap-around services, including case management, trauma-informed care training, behavioral management training, therapeutic and recreational services. We also provide adoption services to help families complete the journey to become parents.
5

Family/Parenting Education Program

Parents, grandparents, guardians or anyone caring for children, 0-17 are invited to join us for a free eight-week parenting education workshop*. Based on the Nurturing Parenting Program, this evidence-based model teaches behavioral management tips, creates more confident family leaders and helps caregivers recognize the power they posses in their own family’s development. Our participants will be encouraged, supported and assisted through this journey of recognizing the power that comes from learning effective parenting skills and the impact they will have on children as they grow.

Upcoming Events

Wildest Auction in the West

Date: March 25, 2022

Time: 6:30 PM

Location: Henry B. Gonzalez Center, Stars at Night Ballroom

Sponsorship Opportunities

Foster Parent Orientation

Zooming for Fosters

If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, visit boysvilletexas.org/foster-care-and-adoption/ for more information, dates, and links to upcoming virtual foster care orientations