Children lacking stable guardianship and at risk of entering the foster care system will soon have a temporary home at Burnett Bayland Park. On July 10, Commissioners Court approved an $8 million grant from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to build Harris County's first Crisis Respite Facility for Children Without Placement.

This facility, which will be built at Burnett Bayland Park and operated by the Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD, will provide short-term housing and wraparound support for 16 children without placement at a time for up to 30 days. Once the 30 days have passed, the Texas Department of Family Services (DFPS) will assume custody of the children if they are unable to be connected with family members or other guardians.

Each month, approximately 100 children in the care of the Texas DFPS are categorized as Children Without Placement or CWOP. These kids have no criminal record, and yet no place to stay. This leaves many to jump from emergency shelters to residential treatment centers and even to motel rooms monitored by caseworkers.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of children without placement skyrocketed from approximately 50 per month to 400 children at the peak, overwhelming the system and leaving children sleeping in hotels and unlicensed facilities for weeks at a time. This facility will act as a residential treatment center, providing children with a safe place to stay where they can access behavioral health services if needed.

“This is a tremendous partnership between The Harris Center, Harris County, Precinct 4, Harris County Juvenile Probation, Harris County Resources for Children and Adults, the Health and Human Services Commission, and the Department of Family and Protective Services,” said the Harris Center’s Director of Government and Public Affairs Amanda Jones. “This new facility will better serve some of the most vulnerable youth in Harris County.”

The grant also includes funds for the renovation of an existing facility within Burnett Bayland Park, so the Harris Center can begin housing children without placement while the new facility undergoes construction. Renovations on the existing facility are expected to be completed by early 2026 allowing children to move in soon after.

The new facility is slated for completion in summer 2027 and will also include a separate wing within the building for an updated Youth Diversion Center. The Youth Diversion Center is currently housed at Burnett Bayland and has helped lower the recidivism rates, or likeliness of someone convicted of a crime to reoffend, of more than 150 children since May 2023.

The construction of this facility was made possible because of the ongoing transformation of Burnett Bayland Park. The investment in the park covered the in-kind match of $8 million required by the grant.

In April 2025, Precinct 4 broke ground on the new Burnett Bayland Park with plans to reimagine how the 75-acre park serves the Gulfton community. The new park will be tailored to people with all abilities and will include a large retention pond, new soccer fields, event lawn, and more.

Burnett Bayland Park will become Gulfton’s premier park, providing a beautiful greenspace for the thousands of residents in the area. The first phase of construction is expected to be completed in 2026.