Northwest Arkansas Childrens Shelter

Who We Are

About NWACS

How We Help

The Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter is a private, non-profit organization that provides a safe place of healing for children throughout Arkansas who are victims of abandonment, abuse, neglect and trafficking. Composed of three pillars: The Shelter, Hope Academy and our Foster Care Program, our programs utilize and develop cutting-edge practices, grounded in over 30 years of trauma-centered research, to meet the needs of children who have experienced significant trauma. We are dedicated to continuing to develop high-quality programs and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration that will guide best practices for decades to come.

Our Values

Head

We foster a culture of strategy and innovation.

hope

We provide the foundation for a better tomorrow.

heart

We serve our children, families and staff with compassion and dedication.

hands

We work collaboratively and respectfully, striving for excellence in all we do.

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 30 year history, we have served more than 13,000 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 – a boys wing, a girls wing and a flex wing.

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

The majority of Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter residents are placed here by the Arkansas Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Division of Children & Family Services (DCFS), in response to a report or allegation of child abuse, abandonment, neglect. Victims of child trafficking are also placed at the Shelter after an intervention by law enforcement. 

Jacob

Jacob arrived at the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter one rainy night along with his five brothers and sisters. He was malnourished and small for his age. His older sisters were protective and unsure about trusting the Shelter staff with his care. They had all just been rescued from an unimaginable situation and didn’t know what […]

Read more about JacobImpact stories

Meet Jacob

Jacob arrived at the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter one rainy night along with his five brothers and sisters. He was malnourished and small for his age. His older sisters were protective and unsure about trusting the Shelter staff with his care. They had all just been rescued from an unimaginable situation and didn’t know what to expect.As the days went by, the siblings began to relax and understand that they were safe at the Shelter. They learned to trust the staff and eventually shared their story. The truth was that Jacob had been locked in a closet for 23 hours a day – let out only to eat one daily meal.
When his parents were especially frustrated with him, they would beat him. He had never attended school and was years behind socially and developmentally.The oldest girls were forced into a sexual trafficking scheme organized by their parents. They knew that if they left home, the same treatment was inevitable for their younger siblings, so they stayed to protect them. This went on for years. However, as the abuse targeted toward Jacob escalated, the girls became terrified. They were convinced that their parents would eventually kill him.They knew they had to find a way out.They wrote a letter describing the horrors that were happening in their home and left it behind in a public place – just hoping the right person would find it and report it. Thankfully, the letter ended up in the right hands and a call was made to the child abuse hotline. That call resulted in all six of the children being removed from the abusive home and arriving at the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter.
Throughout his first weeks at the Shelter, Jacob’s top priority was food. He was so excited at meal time that he would sing the daily menu! Having ready access to food was a new experience for him.
Despite all of the trauma in his past, Jacob had the sweetest heart and a smile for everyone he met. He loved giving high-fives, fist bumps and hugs. He was constantly searching for connections with the Shelter staff and the other children. He was everyone’s biggest cheerleader and quickly won the hearts of all the volunteers and visitors.

Due to his medical issues and developmental delays, Jacob was with us for several months. During his stay, he received individualized case management, counseling, medical and dental care and trauma-centered education – helping him overcome years of neglect. During his time at the Shelter, Jacob almost completely overcame his food insecurities, anxiety, depression and malnutrition.

Jacob now loves to ride his bike, go fishing and play sports with friends. In addition, due to the care that Jacob received at the Shelter, his older siblings could take time to focus on themselves and their healing, which gave them all time to just be kids again!

I’m so glad that I got to spend my 12th birthday here at the Shelter. It was truly the best!

Marly, age 12

Thanks you NWACS, I now have a bright and successful future. I can’t say thank you enough and I will never forget the amazing people here.

Sammy, age 16

The Shelter is a great place with warm hearts, open minds and lots of care.

Angela, age 14