By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
An executive with the Noyes Home says a lot of misconceptions surround the home for children in St. Joseph.
Noyes Home Executive Director Chelsea Howlett says too many believe the home is the equivalent of a juvenile detention center or a place for kids to get scared straight. But Howlett says that isn’t the service the Noyes Home provides.
“What I’ve seen in the last decade, is by far and large the majority of the kids that we serve are precariously housed, meaning they’re bouncing from house to house. They don’t have one roof to call theirs,” Howlett says in an interview with KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “We also have a fair number of kids who are in foster care and they may stay with us for a few days or maybe a couple of months until they’re able to find a more permanent foster home that’s available to them.”
Howlett says the Noyes Home meets immediate needs as well as provides long-term care for youth.
Howlett says the Noyes Home seeks to serve youth and their family in a time of need.
“Our goal is to provide a safe, warm, welcoming environment to a child whose family is in crisis.”
Howlett says the Noyes Home is a voluntary placement site.
“So that means that the parents are able to come in here and say I need help and Children’s Division doesn’t have to get involved,” Howlett says. “The state isn’t at risk of taking their children, because they’re making a safe plan. They’re identifying that they need help.”
Howlett says too many people assume the Noyes Home is a sad place.
“And the reality is it’s a really joyful place,” Howlett says. “We have an amazing staff who truly care about our kids. And while the kids are going through really hard times, you hear more laughter than you see tears. And they know that they are loved and that they are safe.”
The Noyes Home operates on a $2 million annual budget with a major fundraiser planned for this month.
You can follow Brent on Twitter @GBrent, @680KFEQ, and @StJosephPost.