The real value of your gift is the impact it makes! Your support helps the Children’s Aid Society continue its mission:
- To provide shelter, supervision, and counseling for children and youth in crisis
- Cooperate with other agencies in order to resolve problems related to the welfare of these children
- Assist the families of these children in seeking possible solutions to their problems
Together, we can make a difference!
The Children’s Aid Society is a non-profit agency that has been serving the children of North Texas since 1912, when we received our charter. CAS operates two programs: the Children’s Home and the Teen Emergency Shelter. Both shelters are licensed as Emergency Shelters and Assessment Centers through the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services. Both are located on the same property, 1101 30th St., in Wichita Falls, Texas.
The Children’s Home, which has been at its current location since 1976, is a 26-bed facility licensed to serve children ages 1 through 17. The Children’s Home accepts primarily court ordered placements through Child Protective Services (CPS). Admission to the shelter is generally the result of abuse, neglect, and abandonment sustained in the home. While at the Children’s Home, an assessment is often conducted. The assessment process includes psychological, physical, and educational evaluations of the youth. This allows the Shelter and Caseworker to assign an accurate level of care to the youth. The intent is to be able to place the youth in the most appropriate placement as soon as possible and keep them from bouncing around the Foster Care system. Children are nurtured, loved, and educated while at the Children’s Home. Every effort is made to make what can be an unpleasant time in their lives as comfortable and happy as possible. Our greatest feature is that we are able to keep larger sibling sets together with a wide variety of ages.
The Teen Emergency Shelter opened in 1992, specifically to meet the needs of homeless and runaway youth, deter school dropouts, and strengthen families. The TES is an eight bed coed facility licensed to accept kids ages 10 to 17. The TES is the only facility of its kind within a 125-mile radius. Admission to the shelter is voluntary, but often the result of a referral by a school, Juvenile Probation, CPS, the Police, or one of the 34 Safe Place sites in the area. The average length of stay is about two weeks.
An integral part of the Teen Shelter’s program is the counseling provided to teens and their families. The purpose of the counseling is to defuse the crisis situation, identify the problems that led to the crisis, provide the family with coping skills, and encourage an environment in which the youth can mature into a reasonably content and responsible adult. Youths receive independent living and social skills training, with an emphasis on education. The TES provides an aftercare program at no cost to the family. Substance abuse education and prevention counseling is also provided. The Teen Shelter is The Teen Shelter is Funded in part by a Health and Human Services Basic Center Grant for Runaway and Homeless Youth.
The Children’s Home and Teen Shelter are committed to providing youths, a safe, supportive environment in which they can make constructive decisions about their future and their relationships with others. Our agency delivers high quality, compassionate trauma-informed care services to children and families impacted by or at-risk of abuse and neglect.
Your support is needed: Our youth are our hope for the future. Your support can make the difference in the lives of youth who are in desperate need of help.
How can you help: Private donations to the Children’s Aid Society are always deeply appreciated, and are tax deductible.
Sponsor a wish list item:
- Food or Gift Cards For food Items
- Gift Cards for new clothes for youth ages 12 months-17.
- Toiletries (deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, conditioner, brushes, combs, hair accessories, cologne, make-up, etc.)
- Make-up or grooming Kits for Teens
- Gift Cards for New shoes all sizes.
- Books and school supplies.
- Toys ages 2 and up.
- Arts & craft supplies.
- Games and puzzles.
- Gift Cards for Gas and Groceries.
- Birthday/Gifts Items.
- Host a Donation drive for a special event or holiday celebration.
- Sponsor an activity/outing for our youth through a monetary donation or gift certificate.
- Sponsor youth camp for a child or teen this summer (sports, drama, writing, photography, art)
With a small act of kindness…you can touch the lives of many!
All items can be sent to or dropped of at: Children’s Aid Society, 1101 30th St., Wichita Falls, Texas 76302
