The Children of McHenry House

Since 1987, over 4,000 children have passed through the doors of McHenry House.

Being a family shelter one of our main concerns has always been the vulnerability of the children, protecting and nurturing their physical and mental health.  Unfortunately not all children have the wonderful childhood we all hope to provide our own kids.

Homelessness can severely impact the health and well-being of all family members. Children without a home are in fair of poor health twice as often as other children and have higher rates of asthma, ear infections, stomach problems and speech disorders. Homeless children also experience more mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression and withdrawals. They are twice as likely to experience hunger and four times as likely to have delayed development. These illnesses have potentially devastating consequences if not treated early.

Deep poverty and housing instability are especially harmful during the earliest years of childhood. Alarming, is that nearly half of the children in the shelter are under the age of five. Our school age children face barriers to enrolling and attending school, including transportation problems, residency issues, inability to obtain previous school records, lack of clothing and school supplies.

The children of McHenry House...

...have experienced a multitude of traumas, including the absence of a parent and always the loss of a home.  Our programs are designed to keep the family together and to cope with problems that affect them. These services include parent training, counseling and working with family members to identify and to provide other help as needed. We understand that children need both discipline and caring support to sustain them through this confusing time. Based on a through assessment of the children's physical, emotional and mental health (and facilitating appropriate intervention as needed) our services are designed to:

• Encourage, respect and cooperation in family relationships
• Develop social skills and good behavior
• Provide the environment, relationships and help to become inspired and motivated to do school work successfully