Mountain States Children's Home stands out as a unique Colorado-based non-profit children's home providing programs for children of abuse, neglect, and poor choices. These programs include; faith-based foundation, education, a family model, and counseling. The Colorado Tax Credit is available.
Children come from a variety of backgrounds. From the age of eleven to eighteen their young lives have been affected by circumstances that are, most times, out of their control. They do become a victim of their circumstances and search for places where they are accepted. Emotions can weigh heavy so they lash out in anger and frustration to find the balance in life that will give them peace and happiness. Here are some examples from whose lives have been changed through guidance and the loving environment of care.
Female (Age 16)
"I've been here for over a year. I was scared when I first got here and yet I didn't really want to be vulnerable. I didn't want to let anybody in, so I was quiet and I was afraid to trust people. I was scared to open my eyes and see that there were actually good people here. I wasn't sure if they were going to trust what I said or if they were just going to believe everything that was said about me when I first got here. When I came here I decided to show myself to them and I was defensive. I was just more afraid to trust people, I had a guard on, so I was still myself. I moved from school to school before I was eight, I mean a lot, so it came back to me. I hadn't moved since then as much, but now when I moved here it just brought up that defensive thing again. This is "home" because all of the kids here are like my siblings because we love each other no matter what. Yeah, we fight with each other just like every other family does but in a different way, more respectful. It's definitely going to be something I'm going to remember."
"I remember this one time right before I came here I was in my room and I was crying and I was praying to God to just get me out of my situation." I said, "Just strike me with lightning or something because I just don't want to live like this anymore." Then a couple months later God put me here and at first, I was really scared but now I have figured out that God was there the entire time. He was with me through everything I went through and everything I went through prepared me for the children's home. It could be a lot worse if I wasn't prepared for it. I could've just lashed out and angry, but I wasn't I just cried all day long. Now I'm a lot closer with God. I pray to him all the time and it's just helped me with my words to think before I say anything."
As she grew to trust the care that Mountain States Children's Home has given she states, "Now it's a different environment so I am more aware that I'm saying more nice things than I am bringing somebody down with my words. I'm a lot stronger emotionally, physically, and spiritually and it's just helped me. I get to see that there are parents that love their children and that are not always in a bad home life, when they have to move all the time or that have to be taken away from their parents. They just get to be with their family and it shows what a healthy family looks like. You might not believe it, but you definitely get to see it for yourself, how many parents and grandparents, great-grandparents care about each other. Even if we're just strangers we all pretty much chip in to make a family work."
Male (Age 13)
"If there was no counseling here it would be useless because what's the point of the children's home where there's no person to help you and guide you through what's wrong. Counseling is very important! And, I think it's important to have a school on campus because one big part of the children's home is getting an education. And to get the proper knowledge for life there needs to be a school, education, and learning for us. School also gives you more good memories of different, good things depending on what you do at school."
He says, "If we didn't have those two things, a school and a location for counseling we would be without a home here. What makes us better is we have education here and we have counseling here. A home. I really like it here because it gives me another chance to do good in life and I like my house parents, they're really nice. I like it because they're nice to me and they are calm with me when I get mad. I get to do a lot more things here than at home. I didn't have brothers or sisters and I don't have a mom and dad either so now I have a chance to get a mom and dad and a family."
From the mother of a young man who graduated from the MSCH program.
My son has evolved into such a good man. His essence as a toddler was as a very sweet boy.
I feel like he had lost that part of himself but found it in this program. He matured greatly.
He is able to both show and receive love, is responsible and truly feels more joy...
Mountain States Children's Home extends Christian services to wounded children in an effort to meet their physical needs, heal their emotional hurts, challenge their minds and teach them moral principles, in order to reach the goals of reuniting them with their families or preparing for independence. This is accomplished by utilizing a family model of care, strengthened by professional counselors and teachers.
Denver community and church leaders began an agency to help children and families called Mountain States Children's Home (MSCH) in 1960. This dream resulted in the purchase of a 155-acre farm just north of Longmont on Highway 287. MSCH provides services to children in a rural setting and since that time five homes have been built to house children. There has been needed addition of a Distribution Center (clothing and food donations), an Educational Center and Gym (where children attend school and events take place), 5 family model homes with 6 placed children per family (one cottage is used for Relief, which allows house parents to have time off), an Administrative Office where counseling takes place and other farm buildings to accommodate the farming needs.
The Mountain States Children's Home Thrift Store became a reality in 2013 with donations, customer support, and volunteers all helping to create this added funding source.
Cottage 6 is under construction by HomeAid Colorado and Lennar Homes to see that additional children will be given an opportunity for a better future through the programs offered by MSCH..
MSCH is licensed by the State of Colorado as a Residential Child Care Facility (RCCF) to admit children from age three to age eighteen. Currently, the children placements have been from age 11 to 18.
Children come from abuse, neglect, abandonment, and/or troubled family situations. Referred children are just entering adolescence and are not functioning well at home or at school. Many of the children are several years behind their peers academically, having been truant from school. Some have experimented in criminal activity and may be in the experimentation phase of substance abuse.
The children have experienced some major emotional trauma in their lives (e.g. sexual abuse, emotional abuse, the divorce of parents, the death of a parent, multiple placements, etc.). Often the children are angry, hurt, defiant, and confused.
MSCH has grown to 90% of the funding coming from the faithful support of many individuals and churches. The remaining funds are generated through local business, civic groups, service organizations, and foundation grants.
Over 200 volunteers commit to sharing their time with this unique and special work. The agency has remained a private, non-profit facility for children since its inception.
Mountain States Children's Home is currently debt free and continues to grow in helping children and families.
Organization name
Mountain States Children's Home
other names
MSCH
1960
Tax id (EIN)
84-0516736
Category
Human Services
Organization Size
Large Organization
Address
14780 N. 107th St, PO Box 1097Weld County, CO, US
Boulder County, CO, US