by Diane Ciarloni | photos courtesy of Christ’s Haven
The Bible lets us know how important children are to Jesus. He told his disciples in a don’t-argue-with-me voice to never block the little ones who rushed at him to feel his embrace, and he also made it clear he would tolerate no abuse of children.
The people at Christ’s Haven in Keller take those sentiments seriously, dedicating their hearts to the welfare of children, aged newborn to young adult. It doesn’t matter if the kids at Christ’s Haven are on campus for a few months or several years, they are loved in a way that instills normalcy, dignity, and hope into their lives.
“It’s an honor for me to do this work,” CEO Cassie McQuitty said. “I have a history with non-profits, and I’ve been in this position with Christ’s Haven for 5½ years. I started as a volunteer consultant and fell in love with the organization and with what it does.
“Christ’s Haven doesn’t work according to an ‘age out’ system. Typically, an individual is out of conventional foster care at age 18, whether he or she is ready or not. Here we have what we refer to as a Neighborhood of Homes. There are seven individual family residences, with a set of married houseparents responsible for all the children who make up their model family. That responsibility includes all daily needs such as providing food, childcare, medical care, counseling, tutoring, stability, and more. Each home operates as a cohesive family unit that is tasked with caring for the whole child’s physical, emotional, academic, and spiritual dimensions.”
Since the majority of the approximately 50 children at Christ’s Haven come from some type of abuse or neglect background, all houseparents and a large portion of the staff is trauma-informed, which means they are trained to recognize trauma.
The ages and genders of the children in the seven homes are mixed in order to present a model family with typical family interactions and dynamics. The infant-to-18 campus population is held to approximately 50, with children under the age of five counting as two because of the additional care they need. It’s not uncommon for the organization to receive four or five siblings at the same time. When this happens, they’re all put into the same family unit.
Teens and young adults may remain at Christ’s Haven for up to five years after high school graduation. Remember, there is no “aging out.”
“We’re certainly not going to push them out into a world they’re not ready to navigate,” McQuitty said. “They live here free, and we provide them with transportation and support for college tuition. We also provide them with $200 per month. They’re required to meet with a case manager each month and to provide a budget. We refer to it as our College and Career Readiness Program, and it’s the critical element missing in conventional foster care. Our belief is few 18-year-olds are capable of launching into adulthood without mentoring, guidance, and someone cheering them on.”
Christ’s Haven is faith-based. Its $5-million per year budget is privately funded, aided by money raised from a golf tournament, a fashion show, and a clay shoot. Included in the budget are the houseparents, who receive housing, groceries, a car, a monthly stipend and other basic necessities.“It’s so much more than just a job for them,” McQuitty said, “just as it’s so much more than just a job for all of us doing this work. I know every kid here, and I know every one of them is worthy of what we provide. Each one of them deserves hope, dignity, and a productive future.
“We truly believe it’s our responsibility to provide these things for them. And, if a child is here because of being abused by parents who were also abused when they were kids, we believe it’s also our responsibility to do all we can to break that generational crisis.
“It’s impossible to not feel honored when this is the work you do every day. It’s work directly requested by Christ, and we’re honored to carry it out.”
Christ’s Haven
4200 Keller-Haslet Rd.,
Fort Worth, TX 76244
817.431.1544
info@ChristsHaven.org