Angel Reach

Angel Reach is a non-profit organization serving the needs of abused and neglected children in the Montgomery County area. The ministry (based in the City of Conroe, TX) has two distinct target client groups, both of whom are assisted with multiple services.

Kinship Care Families
Families who provide care for related children that have been removed from their natural parents as a result of abuse and/or neglect are deemed “kinship families". Families so designated do not receive any regular assistance from state agencies to offset the cost of providing for the related children. Angel Reach provides services and assistance to those families, including:
Children's clothing
Car seats and bedroom furniture
Food assistance
Home repairs
Transportation assistance
Parent support groups
Enriching children's events

The aim of services provided to “kinship families" is to facilitate the main goal and objective of a permanent home for children living in alternate care.


Aged-out Foster Youth
Teenagers who reach the age of 18 while still in the care of the state Children's Protective Services (CPS) are deemed to have “aged-out" of care. Those young people are released by CPS to fend on their own. Through Angel Reach's Transitional Services the ministry provides help and assistance to save those young people from the historical outcomes of homelessness, poverty, and incarceration. Services provided include the following:
Living assistance (housing, food, clothing)
Case Management (needs evaluation, documents, life planning)
Employment services (job readiness, job skills assistance, local merchant internships)
Educational services (GED completion, college/trade school counseling, application
databases)
Transportation services (transport to job/school, driver's license, auto procurement)
Individual development (life skill classes, mentoring, spiritual development)

The primary goal of the ministry's 12-18 month transitional program is to equip aged-out youth so they can become productive adults and stop the oft repeated cycle of abuse and neglect at the hands of formerly abused and neglected adults.

In a desire to keep children within family and extended family, CPS attempts first to find a relative or close relationship to care for children that must be removed from abusive situations. This type of placement, “kinship", creates hardship on the families who take on responsibly for caring for these children. Angel Reach was started by two concerned longtime foster parents who saw the problems facing a new kinship family after having agreed to take on more children to feed and clothe. Understanding the hardships and the fact that the state provides no regular monetary support for kinship parents, services were established in 2004 to provide children in those placements with clothes and required bedroom furniture. The Angel Reach “closet" grew to include car seats and other necessities.

Ministry services expanded as recognized needs were identified. Additional services include: home improvement in order for kinship parents wanting to adopt to pass the required state home inspection; emergency home or auto repairs, and a food bank for the most needy.


Recognizing a second huge unfilled need among older foster children and those who have “aged-out" of the Child Protective System, Angel Reach, launched the Transitional Service Center in 2011. The center provides programs dedicated to helping former foster youth make a more successful transition into productive adults.

Historically young men and women who end up in the care of the state until mandated release age of 18, are abandoned without means, guidance or parental support that are so vital for young people to advance into a good career or continue their education. Many post foster care resources are available from the state, but minus adequate supervision these “alone in the world" young people are left confused and unable to take advantage of what is rightfully theirs. The consequences of not having a place to live or instruction in how to navigate independent living are tragic. Left without family or any guidance these young people live on the streets, become addicted, get pregnant, end up in jail, and eventually cause a repeat of the cycle of abuse and neglect that has so negatively impacted their lives.

Transitional Services connects homeless foster youth with community resources, provides assistance in job search and placement, guides youth into appropriate higher education channels, and supports current and former foster youth through mentoring and administrative services. All these programs are so directed as to reverse the trends that have devastated our community and so many potential young lives. Angel Reach's Transitional Services focuses currently on former foster youth in Montgomery County but expansion into other geographic areas is contemplated after experience and proven results are established.

The key facilitators of our organizations future and current successes can be summarized as follows:

Founders and staff experience and commitment - Leaders at Angel Reach have a combined 40+ years of experience in the foster care/adoption arena. Not only are they equipped with extensive knowledge, their strong ties to other community agencies support efforts to impact change.

Strong network of local supporting churches- Angel Reach as from the beginning has been primarily backed by local churches and the contributing group now exceeds 10 churches that not only offer direct financial support but also establishes a very large pool of volunteers who are so vital to our success.

Community support - Angel Reach has garnered support from many local merchants and businesses who provide job opportunities for our youth. The district CPS office, the Montgomery County CASA office, other local charitable organizations (MCYS, Salvation Army, Montgomery County Homeless Coalition) and the City of Conroe all work with Angel Reach in various ways to enhance our community impact.

Kinship Program

 Served 207 kids in 102 families by providing clothing, food, kids needs, and furniture in 2019
 Expanded our capacity for case management services offered
 On average, 59 families a month receive clothing, baby items, and food donations
 10 sets of handmade bunk beds delivered to kinship homes with bedding & mattresses.
 Provided a car to one grandmother so she could make a required daily commute to the hospital to care for her grandchild



Transitional Living

 Currently housing 38 Youth & serving 20 day clients
 A total of 75 youth received services from the program in 2019
 Assisted 20 youth in finding a job & helped 5 youth enroll in Lonestar
 7 youth graduated from high school & 4 received their GED
 Helped 24 of our youth to get driver's license or permits
 Assisted 8 youth in obtaining their own vehicles


Ministry Highlights
 Acquired property to house the Assessment/Resource center
 Made extensive improvement to all properties
 Held events to encourage teenage foster kids and honor those who graduated from HS