ARK ASSESSMENT CENTER AND EMERGENCY SHELTER FOR YOUTH
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Mission Statement
The Ark’s mission is to provide a caring intervention for abused, neglected and displaced children and youth, ages 0 through 17, by placing them in a secure environment.
About This Cause
The Ark Assessment Center and Emergency Shelter for Youth cares for children and youth removed from their homes after investigators determine their lives are in danger due to child abuse, physical abuse or neglect by a parent or guardian. It is the only facility within an 80-mile radius licensed and contracted by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to provide assessment services and emergency shelter for 61 of these victims, ages 0 through 17. Their average age is 2.5 years. The state agency knows that when it needs to find a safe and compassionate home for children, it can count on The Ark. During a period of up to 90 consecutive days, the residents are treated as a family and provided with a secure environment, childcare, nutritious meals/snacks, diapers, pull-ups, wipes, clothing, hygiene products (toothbrushes, etc.), treatment for head lice, transportation (to outings and appointments), birthday celebrations with gifts and everything else needed for the children’s well-being. Most of the minors arrive at the shelter with only the clothes they are wearing. Nearly all of them require delousing. Many are underweight due to malnourishment and are encouraged to eat to attain a healthy weight. The children may be traumatized and withdrawn due to the abuse and/or neglect they endured. Sometimes they have scars caused by it. Their fears stem from the insecurities they developed after the traumatic incidents they experienced. The little ones often wake up during the night feeling afraid. Sometimes, they hide in their room (under a table or in a corner) or the Day Activity Room (under a table). When necessary, the staff trains children in etiquette, using eating utensils and using the potty to prevent soiled clothes and infections. Medical doctors, psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists, counselors and other trained professionals perform complete evaluations and assessments to prompt improvements in their outlook on life and for placement in an appropriate long-term site where their needs can be met, such as a foster home, residential treatment center, therapeutic treatment center or basic child-care institution. Each minor is also given a complete medical, dental and vision examination. Medical treatment is received, including any prescribed medications. The program includes interagency coordination and training to ensure positive behavioral changes. A Child’s Service Plan is developed and coordinated for each minor that addresses the basic and specific needs that are to be met for that individual. As the shelter’s staff works with the residents in a nurturing manner with absolute respect and unconditional love, a transformation begins to take place in these victims. The education and training they receive contribute toward healthy childhood development. Positive changes occur in their lives, allowing them to gain a sense of dignity and self-worth. Sometimes, the minors return to the shelter for transitioning into adoptive homes. Although the agency can admit children from anywhere in Texas, the geographic area impacted the most are the 19 counties in the southern part of the state constituting HHSC Region 11. The shelter provides services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It has served at least 4,500 children since admitting its first resident on April 7, 2000. Without exaggerating, some of their stories have been extraordinary. Some have been admitted to the facility with broken bones. One saw a homicide. Another was abandoned as a newborn. The most significant moments in a child’s life occur at The Ark. The following is entirely possible because the shelter’s youngest infant has been just 1 day old. Sadly, the staff — instead of the resident’s parent — witnesses the child’s “First” moments: • Baby’s first steps, • Baby’s first words, • Baby’s first Christmas, • Baby’s first birthday and • Leaving for the first day of school.