Lutheran Social Services to open
new San Antonio foster care office
April 19, 2007

San Antonio - Lutheran Social Services of the South, the largest provider of children’s residential services in Texas, is celebrating a major addition to its award-winning foster care program at 3:30 p.m. Friday, May 4, with the dedication of the newest San Antonio foster care and adoption office at 700 S. Zarzamora St., Suite 212.

“The people of San Antonio and the surrounding areas have been deeply affected by the recent tragedies of Bexar County children like Sariyah Garcia and Sebastian Lopez, and have emerged as dedicated supporters of the rights and needs of abused and neglected children. It is in that spirit and in the names of these children that we expand our services in hopes of providing a safe, secure, loving and stable home to every child we can,” said Kurt Senske, chief executive officer of LSS.

The southside office will be staffed with bilingual caseworkers to focus on serving the needs of the Spanish-speaking San Antonio community.

“There are people in the Hispanic community who want to foster or adopt a child in need. By offering both languages when they walk through the door, we can maximize the opportunities for anyone who has ever thought of opening their heart and home to a new family member, whether for a few weeks or for a lifetime,” said Angelica Villastrigo, director of the new LSS Southside office.

The LSS specialized foster care program has grown from serving 13 children in 1996 to more than 1,300 children in 675 foster homes throughout Texas in 2006.

The high level of staff support to its foster families has earned the agency numerous awards, including twice being named State Agency of the Year by the National Foster Parent Association in 2003 and 2000. The LSS foster care program has received several Texas Foster Family Association awards, including Texas Therapeutic Foster Family of the Year for 2006, Agency of the Year, Single Foster Parent of the Year and Foster Family of the Year for Adolescents.

“Our mission is to provide help, healing and hope to those in need. To accomplish that mission, we partner with foster families and Children’s Protective Services to provide the highest quality of care to children who have been abused and neglected or who need specialized medical care,” said Senske.

LSS is the social service arm of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. LSS and its affiliated ministries annually serve more than 35,000 children, elderly and poor in Texas and Louisiana regardless of religious beliefs, ethnicity, gender or age. Its ministries include therapeutic foster care, children’s residential treatment centers, adoption, emergency assistance, services to the poor, health care and retirement centers, disaster response and emergency assistance.

For more information about LSS San Antonio Adoption and Foster Care, call Jack Ewing, assistant vice president for the San Antonio area, at (210) 822-9745. For information about the southside office, please contact Angelica Villastrigo at (210) 431-3487.

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