Basic center program or emergency shelter for youth ages 10-17

The Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) awarded Children's Aid Society of West Texas Inc., doing business as The Children's Home, a $165,920 project grant effective September 30, 2025, through September 29, 2028, under the Basic Center Program (CFDA 93.623). The award funds emergency shelter and support services for runaway and homeless youth under 18 years of age across Texas. The organization will provide temporary emergency shelter for up to 21 days, along with individual, group, and family counseling services, intensive outreach activities, and meals and clothing to at-risk youth who have left home without parental permission, been forced to leave home, or are otherwise homeless.

Services delivered through this three-year project period include crisis intervention, case management, health care referrals, and family reunification efforts designed to reconnect youth with their families when safe to do so or to identify appropriate alternative living arrangements. The program aims to prevent youth from entering the law enforcement, child welfare, mental health, or juvenile justice systems by addressing immediate needs and stabilizing housing situations. Non-competing continuations may be issued annually based on satisfactory progress and fund availability.

Shelter, individual, group, family, and aftercare counseling, intensive outreach - the basic center program (BCP) (CY) provides temporary shelter and counseling services to youth who have left home without permission of their parents or guardians, have been forced to leave home, or other homeless youth who might otherwise end up in the law enforcement or in the child welfare, mental health, or juvenile justice systems. Bcps work to establish or strengthen community-based programs that meet the immediate needs of runaway and homeless youth and their families. Bcps provide youth under 18 years of age with emergency shelter, food, clothing, counseling and referrals for health care. Bcps can provide up to 21 days of shelter for youth and seek to reunite young people with their families, whenever possible, or to locate appropriate alternative placements.