Northwest Arkansas Childrens Shelter

Referral Form for DCFS

This form is for DCFS and court personnel to submit referrals to Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter for placement. Private care referrals need to be made via phone. Referrals submitted between 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. will receive a response the same day. Online referrals made outside of these hours will receive a response the next day. If the placement need is immediate and it is outside the designated hours, or if the online form is not accessible, please call (479) 795-2417 to refer via phone.

NWACS Referral Form

Seth

Seth* had a tough beginning in life. His mother was not someone who could be trusted or relied upon. Because of her own struggles with drug abuse and mental health, she couldn’t provide the very basics of care for Seth. As a young child, Seth was raised, off and on, by his grandparents. However, when […]

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Meet Seth

Seth* had a tough beginning in life. His mother was not someone who could be trusted or relied upon. Because of her own struggles with drug abuse and mental health, she couldn’t provide the very basics of care for Seth. As a young child, Seth was raised, off and on, by his grandparents. However, when they passed away, he was forced to return to his mother’s care.

Frightened and alone, doing what he could to survive without any support at home, Seth found himself in a downward spiral.

That’s when he arrived at the Shelter. When Seth walked through the doors of the Shelter, he was scared, angry and withdrawn. He kept his hood up and wasn’t comfortable with eye contact, personal communication or any acts of love or affection.

He wasn’t used to being surrounded by adults focused on meeting his needs. He had raised himself for most of his life. Within the safety of the Shelter, he had to learn how to trust.

While at the Shelter, Seth was able to recover his high school credits and graduate on schedule. He learned many new life skills, such as laundry, cooking, cleaning and money management. He is currently living independently, enjoying a new job and looking forward to starting college in the spring. His future is much brighter because of the care he received at the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter.

*name and image changed to protect privacy

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

Henry, age 4

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 like the Shelter because we get new stuff, like clothes, and we get to go outside and play kickball.

Adam, age 6