History
Founded in 1890, Methodist Children's Home is a non-profit child care provider affiliated with the seven United Methodist Annual Conferences of Texas and New Mexico. The Home is committed to serving children and families without regard to ethnicity, religion or financial status.
Waco Campus
The Waco campus is located on 130 acres in northwest Waco.
The residential program serves 180 children, ages 12 to 18, who are unable to live at home for various reasons. Youth must be younger than 18 to be considered for admission. Length of stay is determined by child and family needs. The average length of stay is 18 months.
Home units serve an average of 12 children. Some units utilize the homeparent model of care, while others utilize a staff that rotates shifts throughout a 24-hour period.
Residents in the structured care program and some basic care residents attend the University of Texas Charter School on the MCH campus. Some of the Home's residents attend Waco public schools.
Boys Ranch
The Boys Ranch is located near Axtell, 10 miles northeast of Waco. The Ranch program helps boys who are beginning to behave in ways that are in conflict with the norms of society.
About 50 boys, ages 12 to 18, live in six home units with child care staff.
Residents attend school at the Ranch where their individual needs can be met. In addition to basic classes, students are taught social and vocational skills.
The Ranch's structured program teaches boys a work ethic, leadership skills, ways to focus on their strengths and build their self-esteem, and independent living skills.
Community Services and Foster Care
Foster care is a temporary living arrangement between a foster family and a child who cannot live with his or her family because of a crisis. More than 180 children are in foster care and the average stay is 6 to 18 months.
Methodist Children's Home outreach offices are located in Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Tyler, Lubbock, El Paso and Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Vocational Guidance and College Program
Vocational evaluation and counseling are provided to high school juniors and seniors.
Most students who have a "C" average or better and a desire to continue their education can earn scholarships from Methodist Children's Home to attend a public college, university or vocational school in Texas. There are more than 30 students currently enrolled in the college program .
Budget and Funding
The annual budget at Methodist Children's Home is $20 million. Sources of income include the annual Christmas offering by the United Methodist churches of Texas and New Mexico, private donations and the endowment fund.
Parents, who are asked to provide financial support on a sliding scale, provide less than 2 percent of funding.
