About Us

We are registered as a 501(c)3 charity and are faith-based. Your donations to our organization are tax-deductible. Our Employer Identification Number (for IRS purposes) is 74-1359391.

Yes, we are licensed by the state of Texas as a Basic Care Program. We serve children ages 2 to 18.

Our organization provides children a safe and nurturing Christian home during times of family crises.

We are a faith-based organization. The spiritual well-being of the children in our care is a priority. Children are required to attend church services with their caregivers, who are dedicated members of the Church of Christ.

We accept youth in need of basic care and who exhibit behaviors that do NOT require lockdown or regular therapy. We are not a treatment or therapeutic center, but we do have a counselor available weekly depending on the child's insurance. We cannot consider youth that could be of harm to themselves or anyone else, youth who are acting out sexually, or whose behaviors are disruptive to the point that they would require caregivers to provide them attention to the point of causing the neglect of other children.

Our youth in care might be those who were raised by grandparents who are no longer able to care for them; youth with reactive attachment disorder who have been adopted; youth with minor behaviors that need a structured environment; and/or youth whose parents or other family members can no longer provide for their basic care due to crisis. (Note: we no longer accept placements through Child Protective Services.)

We provide services to children at no cost. There is no application fee or any other fees for care. We receive donations from Churches of Christ, individuals, and other concerned groups which allows us to take care of children without having to ask for funds from a hurting family.

We occasionally accept youth from other states. However, Texas applications are given priority.

If the youth is considered for possible placement but we do not have any beds available, the application is kept for future reference when a bed does come available. It does not mean that the youth will automatically get the next available bed, though. Several things must be considered, such as age, sex, and behaviors. For example, we cannot put a 15-year old in a room with a 6-year old.

If necessary, children may stay at CHC until they graduate high school. If the child is placed privately, he or she may return home at anytime that the placing family member is prepared to take the child back. There is no time limit on care that a child may receive.

We have a responsibility to our community and our donors and work hard to ensure the long-term sustainability of the organization. We make our IRS Form 990 available for review, as required by law. You may contact us to request a copy.

Yes, our children attend school at the Cherokee Independent School District, just 2 miles from Cherokee Home. The school bus takes them to school and brings them home. The school district is very small which provides many benefits to our children: low teacher/student ratio; opportunity to be active participants in all athletic and academic events; close relationships between our staff and the administration and teachers employed by the school.

While the name Cherokee Home for Children may lead you to believe we care for Native American children only, our name comes from the town of Cherokee where we are located. We care for children of all ethnicities and backgrounds.

Our organization takes our privacy policy seriously and takes steps to protect and ensure the safety of our supporters. We do not sell or otherwise disclose information about our volunteers or supporters outside of our immediate organization. This policy has no exceptions. We do not sell or exchange your information with any other organizations, public, private or nonprofit.

Your first step is to fill out our placement application. This can be found by going to the Home page of our website and clicking on "Child Referral". At the bottom of the page is a link that will take you to the application form. After we receive the application our Social Services Director will contact you and let you know if your child can be considered for placement.