Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services
Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services (PCHAS) is an American nonprofit provider of residential, foster care and adoption services for children. It is a 501(c)3 organization whose stated mission is to provide Christ-centered care and support to children and families in need. It has 14 programs in 28 locations in Texas, Missouri and Louisiana.[1]
History[edit]
The First Presbyterian Church of Dallas founded Presbyterian Children's Homes (PCH) in 1903 after a young mother dying of tuberculosis asked the church to care for her four children. The women of the church rented a home, hired a matron and created an orphanage. In 1905, the orphanage moved to Itasca, Texas. The campus received a Texas historical marker in 1969.[2][3] Today the location operates as PCHAS' Itasca Foster Care Village.
In 1916 the Presbytery of Abilene started the Reynolds Presbyterian Orphanage and School in Albany, Texas.[4] This orphanage moved to Dallas in 1923 and then to Waxahachie in 1960. In 1998 it changed its name to Presbyterian Children's Services (PCS). The Waxahachie campus is still in operation by PCHAS and serves foster families, families experiencing trauma, struggling single parents and youth who have aged out of foster care. In 2002, the two children's agencies – PCH and PCS – merged to create Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services (PCHAS) of Texas.
Meanwhile, in 1914, pastors and elders founded a similar agency in Missouri. About 70 miles from St. Louis, in the "lead belt," they established an orphanage for children whose parents died in mining accidents. This became the Farmington Children's Home, which grew to include numerous homes and a working farm. As society changed its definition of foster care, this home became the Residential Treatment Center for children recovering from abuse, neglect and abandonment. In the 2000s the agency began shifting away from residential programs and expanding its direct-care services in the community.[5] In 2018, the Texas and Missouri agencies merged and became Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services (PCHAS).[6]
Current programs and locations[edit]
According to its website, PCHAS utilizes evidence-based practices and clinical expertise. It is a trauma-informed and trauma-responsive organization, training staff in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) and the Strengths Model. Programs are in three categories: Foster Care and Adoption Services; Family Preservation and Mentoring; and Residential Services.
In 2019 PCHAS replaced its treatment center in Farmington, Missouri with a hub of social services for foster children, young adults and families. That same year it established a program to prevent child abuse in families with children six and under in Corsicana, Texas.[7]
Partnerships and affiliations[edit]
- Accredited by the national Council on Accreditation
- Juliette Fowler Communities
- Masonic Home and Schools of Texas
- Missouri Department of Mental Health - Comprehensive Psychiatric Services
- Missouri Department of Social Services - Children's Division
- Texas Department of Families and Protective Services
- United Way of Greater St. Louis
- United Way of Navarro County
- Founding member of Missouri Coalition of Children's Agencies (MCCA)
- Founding member of Missouri Alliance for Children & Families (MACF)
PCHAS has a Covenant Agreement with the Synod of the Sun and the Synod of Mid-America (PCUSA) and a Mission Partnership Agreement with the Presbytery of Texas, Covenant of Evangelical Presbyterians (ECO). Additional affiliations and partners are listed at https://www.pchas.org/partners.[8]
Funding and transparency[edit]
PCHAS revenue comes from private and public sources. Private support comes from individuals, estate bequests, foundations, churches, church groups, civic organizations and corporations. Public funding in the form of fees for services comes from the Texas Department of Families and Protective Services[9] and the St. Louis County Children's Service Fund (CSF).[10] The organization scores 100 on the Accountability and Transparency rubric of Charity Navigator.[11] PCHAS meets the Better Business Bureau's 20 standards of accountability for nonprofits.[12]
Controversies[edit]
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References[edit]
- ↑ "Presbyterian agency works to boost child well-being in three states". Presbyterian Mission Agency. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
- ↑ "Southwestern Presbyterian Home and School for Orphans". Stopping Points Historical Markers & Points of Interest. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
- ↑ "Southwestern Presbyterian Home and School for Orphans". Texas Historical Marker.
- ↑ "TSHA | Reynolds Presbyterian College". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
- ↑ Bradford, Bobby (June 13, 2019). "Farmington Children's Home changes focus". Daily Journal Online. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
- ↑ "Stronger together: How two Presbyterian agencies negotiated a healthy merger". The Presbyterian Outlook. 2019-09-11. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
- ↑ "Local agency uses care to protect clients from virus". Corsicana Daily Sun. March 26, 2020. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
- ↑ "Partners of PCHAS". Presbyterian Children's Homes & Services. 2021-09-06. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
- ↑ "Private Adoption Agencies (TARE)". Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
- ↑ "Who We Fund". St. Louis County Children's Service Fund.
- ↑ "Charity Navigator - Rating for Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services". www.charitynavigator.org. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
- ↑ "Charity Report - Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services". www.bbb.org. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
External links[edit]
- Official website
- "Charity Report - Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services". www.bbb.org. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
- "Charity Navigator - Rating for Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services". www.charitynavigator.org. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
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