Do you know a teen in need of a loving place to live? Up to 2,000 young people in this community are without a safe place to live at any given time.
ACH Child and Family Services operates Tarrant County’s only emergency youth shelter, for teens providing safety and stability to young people in need. It is one of many services ACH offers to protect children and strengthen families in North Texas.
Open 24/7, the shelter, located at ACH’s Summit Campus near downtown Fort Worth, accommodates up to 16 youth from ages 10 to 17 in a group-home setting. Staff provide immediate care and long-term assistance to runaway, homeless and trafficked children – working to reunite them with their families or finding alternate living arrangements when reunification isn’t possible.
“When kids don’t have guidance and stability, it puts their entire future at risk,” said Wayne Carson, CEO of ACH Child and Family Services. “ACH changes lives by providing a place where young people feel secure and supported, and the benefits last long after they leave.”
This fall, ACH will relocate the youth shelter to its Wichita Campus in southeast Fort Worth. With more than 9,000 square feet, the new facility will expand capacity to better serve the youth who come through its doors.
“Youth will be able to connect with peers and staff in a comfortable common area, and there are additional rooms for personal and group therapy sessions,” Carson added. “It will be a healing, transformative space.”
Last year, the emergency youth shelter cared for more than 200 youth and exceeded its service goals. Staff members were able to meet the basic needs of all clients within an hour of admission, and every young person was safe from abuse and neglect while at the shelter. Virtually all clients remained at the shelter until a permanent setting could be arranged.
Learn more about the emergency youth shelter and ACH’s other resources on the organization’s website. Get immediate assistance by calling ACH’s 24-hour hotline, 817.335.HOPE.
