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Northwest Arkansas Childrens Shelter

Northwest Arkansas Childrens 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 29 year history, we have served more than 12,000 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

Abby

Let me tell you Abby’s* story. It was one of the worst cases of neglect the police officer had ever seen. The children were covered in grime, clearly malnourished and sleeping on filthy pallets on the floor. The house had no running water and roaches infested the kitchen. There were visible scratches, bruises and burns […]

Read more about AbbyImpact stories

Meet Abby

https://nwacs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Abbys-Story_Final.mp4

Let me tell you Abby’s* story.

It was one of the worst cases of neglect the police officer had ever seen. The children were covered in grime, clearly malnourished and sleeping on filthy pallets on the floor. The house had no running water and roaches infested the kitchen. There were visible scratches, bruises and burns on the children’s bodies. This wasn’t the first time their caregiver had been arrested.

After the children were removed from the home, they arrived at the doors of the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter. They were scared, tired and hungry. We welcomed them with open arms. The Shelter team immediately sprang into action by serving the children a hot meal, giving each child a bath, providing them with clean clothing and beginning treatment for rashes, burns and lice. Abby was the oldest child living in the home — a young girl of less than seven years. Confused and extremely angry, she lashed out at the Shelter team because she had never trusted an adult in her life. She didn’t know how to react when we tried to care for her. She had been deprived of the love and affection of a family.

With patience and guidance from the Shelter team, Abby learned how to better handle her anger and frustration. She learned how to use kind words and how to depend on the adults around her to meet her needs. Most importantly, she learned that, for the first time in her life, she had people who truly cared for her.

Now, Abby has discovered the joys of childhood.

She loves stuffed animals. She loves talking about kittens. She loves drawing pictures for her teacher. On a recent visit to Chick-fil-A, she was so excited about eating in a “real” restaurant and even more excited about joining the other children in the play area. In our care, Abby learned how to laugh and have fun. Her laugh is so infectious, it can turn a bad day into a great one!

*name and image changed to protect privacy

I went to the on-site school which I liked because it gave me one-on-one time and that’s what I needed to help get my grades up and catch up on all my credits so I can graduate. I would like to thank all of the staff at the Shelter for making me and my son feel safe and taken care of.

Teresa, age 17

I felt like I was being taken care of for the first time.

Kyle, age 9

While at the Shelter, I went from an 8th grade math level to almost a 12th grade level. I’m pretty proud of that.

Tasha, age 17

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Contact Us

860 NW Vaughn Road
Bentonville, AR 72713

479-795-2417
website@nwacs.org

For DCFS use only

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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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