What is Saving Grace Children Place?
Saving Grace Children Place Inc. (SGCP) is a Texas non-profit Corporation incorporated in the State of Texas that holds a 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. SGCP is located in Houston Texas and aspires to be a dedicated residential treatment center serving pregnant youth and teen mothers that are in Child Protective Services (CPS). These youth are often victims of abuse, neglect, substance abuse, or a number of other family crisis situations that has created emotional and psychological trauma. Saving Grace Children Place Inc. is committed to providing a safe and a clean homelike setting with the appropriate professionals to help these youth transition from their hazardous past environment to a nurturing and a rewarding environment which will foster the unleashing of each child's full potential as well as gain the skills to become nurturing successful mothers.
Why is Saving Grace Children Place needed?
There are more than half a million children living in the US foster care system today. After multiple studies, researchers have indicated that teenagers in the foster care system are more likely to become pregnant than teens in the general public. In the foster care system alone, 48% of girls become pregnant by the age of 19, with roughly a third of 17-year-old girls in the system currently pregnant. Teenage pregnancies among youth in foster care have reached epidemic levels. Teenage girls in the foster care system are twice as likely to get pregnant before turning 19 than teenage girls who are not in foster care. Many of these teenagers are pregnant again before the age of 19. Why are these teens at such high risk for pregnancy? Teens in foster care are more likely to have suffered from child abuse, which can lead to physical and emotional health problems. There are only 3 facilities of this kind in Texas and none of them are in the Houston or surrounding areas. However, the Houston area have pregnant teens and teen mothers in Child Protective Services (CPS) but has to be sent out of region so that they may remain with their child or separated from their child and placed in two different placements if housed in the Houston area. Therefore, Saving Grace Children Place will allow placement, services, education, and nurturing for these young mothers without leaving the city where they have siblings and relatives.
What sets Saving Grace Children Place apart from other Maternity homes for girls?
Saving Grace Children Place will allow for the young mothers to remain in the program until they age out of the system and is ready for Independent Living. Then those youth can transition into the transition living phase of the program where they will hold down a job, attend college or a vocational school and continue to receive support with the continued development of being a nurturing parent.
How does Saving Grace Children Place help the community?
Saving Grace Children Place will bring jobs to the community to staff the placement.
Among the types of employment opportunities include:
• Youth Care Workers (Direct Care Staff trained to provide 24 hours supervision to the residents)
• Professional Staff including Program Administrators, Case Managers, and Administrative Support Staff
• Housecleaning and Janitorial Staff
• Cooks and Cafeteria Workers
• Facility Maintenance Workers and Groundskeepers
• Landscapers/Gardeners
• Clinical staff via our Clinical Partner
• Teachers, Assistant Teachers and school administrative staff via our School Partner