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Northwest Arkansas Childrens Shelter

Northwest Arkansas Childrens Shelter

  • Who We Are
    • About NWACS
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    • Emergency Shelter
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Who We Are

About NWACS

How We Help

The Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter is a private, non-profit organization that provides 24-hour residential, emergency triage care for children throughout Arkansas who are victims of abandonment, abuse or neglect. Our mission is to provide these children in crisis with a safe haven, high-quality care and hope for the future.

Our Values


Compassion

We will recognize and meet the needs of children with respect, sensitivity and unconditional love.

Excellence

We will set the standards for high-quality service to children by performing above the expected.

Integrity

We will strive with our words and actions to be worthy of the trust placed in us.

Our History

In the late 1980s, Juvenile Court Judge Terry Crabtree learned that Benton County children were sleeping overnight in DHS offices because there was a shortage of foster homes in Northwest Arkansas.

He rallied a group of community leaders to the cause, and the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter was incorporated in July 1991. Through an outpouring of community support, including hundreds of volunteer hours, the funds were raised to hire a staff and secure a location. The Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter officially opened its doors on December 6, 1993, with five girls in residence.

Throughout our 27 year history, we have served more than 11,000 children in need of a safe haven and loving care – providing each of them hope for a brighter future.

Our Campus

  • Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter 1993 – 2011
  • Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter 2011 – present

Take a Tour

Enjoy this tour of our campus! Children come to us from across the state of Arkansas. If it’s their first stay with us, they don’t know what to expect. We designed this video to give them a quick tour of our campus so they know that they’re coming to a safe, caring, fun place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter only serve kids from Northwest Arkansas?

In spite of its geographically specific name, Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter serves children from throughout the state of Arkansas. The majority of its residents come from Benton, Washington, Carroll and Madison counties, but many come from the River Valley and Central Arkansas, as well.

How many children can Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter accommodate?

Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter currently has a total 32 beds, divided into three residence wings. Residence wings are defined by age and gender.

Why and how are children placed at Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter?

The overwhelming majority of Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter residents are placed there by the Arkansas Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Division of Children & Family Services (DCFS), in response to a report or allegation of child abuse or neglect or an intervention by law enforcement. A few children are placed by their foster families for “respite care.” An example of respite care would be a situation in which a foster family has a need to travel out-of-state during a time when the child has a scheduled court appearance, etc. The three major incident/report types that result in a child coming to the Children’s Shelter break down roughly as follows:

  • Neglect – 80 percent
  • Physical abuse – 15 percent
  • Sexual abuse – 5 percent

Demonte

Recently, we had an intelligent, hard-working young man in our care. His name was Demonte and he was 15 years old. One day, he got upset in class and took off out of the building like he was planning to run away. This is not an uncommon reaction from the children in our care. Many […]

Read more about DemonteImpact stories

Meet Demonte

Recently, we had an intelligent, hard-working young man in our care. His name was Demonte and he was 15 years old. One day, he got upset in class and took off out of the building like he was planning to run away. This is not an uncommon reaction from the children in our care. Many have been taught that their only two options, when circumstances are beyond their control, are fight or flight. This time, Demonte chose flight.
Lisa, one of our amazing Youth Care Specialists, followed after him and was calling out his name to stop him from walking away. Finally, he did stop and Lisa was able to convince him to return. Later that afternoon, when he was talking through what had happened, he said, “When I heard Mrs. Lisa saying my name, it made me realize that no one in my family or in my life would ever have cared if I ran away. The only reason I stopped is because I knew Mrs. Lisa must care about me because she came after me.”
This is just one story, among hundreds each year, that shows how much our youth care staff impact the children in our care – every day. It is an honor to be here for these kids when they need us the most.

The Shelter is a perfect placement for all ages. It’s a safe place where all of my needs were met so I could spend more time on things I needed to work on – like graduating! The Shelter helped me so much!

Danielle, age 16

The world’s not perfect, but people are there to help you. The Shelter was a good environment and people wanted the best for me, and it made me want to love myself more. If I had not gone to the Shelter, I don’t think I’d be in school and I would probably still be in a home when I’m the adult when I shouldn’t have to be.

Lauren, age 16

The staff treated me as if I were their family. They were always there for me and always reminded me of my worth.

Kiyasha, age 15

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Contact Us

860 NW Vaughn Road
Bentonville, AR 72713

479-795-2417
website@nwacs.org

Shelter Shop

2700 W Walnut
Rogers, AR

(479) 202-5230
bbulen@nwacs.org

Join Our Team

If you are interested in a rewarding job providing a safe haven and loving care to the most vulnerable children in our community, apply today!

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