Northwest Arkansas Childrens Shelter

Laney

Laney* came to the Shelter after experiencing years of neglect by her mother. She didn’t smile much when she first arrived, and after a few days 7-year-old Laney confided that her teeth hurt. She revealed that she had never visited the dentist and upon further examination we could clearly see numerous holes, decay, broken teeth and gum discoloration. Her case manager scheduled an emergency dental appointment for that day, where she discovered that Laney would need many subsequent appointments. She worked quickly to ensure that Laney could receive treatment before she left the care of the Shelter.  These types of stories are unfortunately common and many of our youth require multiple trips to the dentist, specialty physicians, eye doctors, and primary health clinics. After just a few appointments, Laney’s smile emerged and her confidence soared!

*name changed to protect the privacy of the youth in our care

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.
*name and image changed to protect privacy

I tried a cupcake for the first time.

Kylee, age 6

The Shelter felt like a family to me – always helping me when I needed it and making me feel at ease. I might be leaving, but a part of me is staying.

Chelle, age 16

My new bed makes me happy. And I am clean and have a new shirt.

Henry, age 4