Birthday party at Girls Home.

 

Since 1973, the Girls Home has offered girls from troubled

Homes an opportunity to overcome the hurts of the past

and prepare for a better future. Our program provides a

home-like atmosphere, regular  family activities, holiday

celebrations, and so on. The girls go to public schools and

attend the church of their choice.

Most of our residents are 14 or older.  This means that they will “age out” of foster

care and begin life on their own in four years or less.  Our program therefore is focused on helping them become “Connected by 25”—gaining the skills they will need to succeed as adults.  We encourage residents to form relationships with others through participation in community events as well as at church and school.  We stress the importance of education. When school is not in session, most residents have the opportunity to have a part-time job, thus getting valuable work experience and gaining some financial literacy.  Each girl has regularly assigned household chores that help her understand what tasks are involved in having a household of your own. We applaud our girls’ accomplishments; when they fail, we try to help them figure out how to get a better result next time.

 

Services offered:

 

Highly individualized care. Each individual's strengths, weaknesses, and interests are assessed in order to map out the activities most likely to encourage pro-social behavior and the development of healthy relationships with both adults and  peers.

 

A nurturing environment.   Our trained live-in houseparents, assisted by other direct-care staff,  maintain a home-like atmosphere in the facilities. Group and individual counseling and recreational therapy are provided.  Residents also interact with other staff members, Board members, and community sponsors.

 

Diversified educational resources.  The Home offers in-home tutoring and has a good working relationship with the San Angelo Independent School District.   Residents have supervised access to computers and to the Internet.

 

Family counseling services. CVHG counselors are available to  meet with family members if deemed necessary in the child's service plan.

 

Transitional services for children leaving care.  Our Transition Center for young people leaving foster care for independent living offers assistance in finding a place to live, budgeting, finding a job, and other issues which arise for the individual.  For girls returning to their families after leaving care, CVHG aids in planning the transition and helping both the child and the family identify and develop ways of dealing with likely problem areas.

 

Placement procedures:

 

For consideration of an applicant, a common application and current psychological evaluation are required.  School records and social history are requested. A pre-placement interview is also required, either in person or, if distance makes a personal visit impractical, by telephone. 

Partial funding for programs received from Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

 

 

Concho Valley Home for Girls