What is Shelter Care?

Shelter

care

provides

temporary

and

emergency

care

for

alleged

and

adjudicated

dependent

and

delinquent

juveniles.

The

Shelter

helps

children

and

their

families

by

providing

professional

therapeutic

and

supportive

services

that

will

enable

them

to

achieve

their

full

potential.

Our

hope

is

to

touch

the

lives

of

the

children

we

serve

so

that

they

become

productive

members of society, in part because of the caring, nurturing, and learning atmosphere of the Shelter.

The

Shelter

serves

males

and

females

between

the

ages

of

ten

and

eighteen

years

of

age

that

are

awaiting

court

review.

The

Children

&

Youth

Agency

 

or

Juvenile

Probation

Office

refers

these

residents

to

us.

Shelter

care

offers

a

supervised

setting

with

accommodations

to

house

twenty-four

residents

each

with

their

own

sleeping

quarters.

The

resident

participate

in

activities that help them grow emotionally, physically, and intellectually.

The

versatility

of

the

Shelter’s

behavior

modification

system

allows

home

visits,

if

the

resident

has

achieved

a

high

status

and if the referring agency approves the visit. These visits are beneficial when possibility of family reunification exists.

The

ability

to

venture

“off

grounds”,

with

staff

supervision,

enables

shelter

residents

to

experience

a

variety

of

recreational

activities

as

well

as

participate

in

volunteer

activities

throughout

Lancaster

County

communities.

The

facet

of

the programming also affords the opportunity for educational field trips and experiential learning.

What is a dependent child?

According

to

the

Juvenile

Act

,

composed

by

the

Juvenile

Court

Judges’

Commission

(JCJC)

,

a

dependent

child

is

a

child

who:

•

is

without

proper

parental

care

or

control,

subsistence,

education

as

required

by

law,

or

other

care

or

control

necessary for his physical, mental, or emotional health, or morals;

•

has been placed for care or adoption in violation of law;

•

has been abandoned by his parents, guardian, or other custodian;

•

is without parent, guardian, or legal guardian;

•

while subject to compulsory school attendance is habitually and without justification truant from school;

•

has

committed

a

specific

act

or

acts

of

habitual

disobedience

of

the

reasonable

and

lawful

commands

of

his

parent,

guardian, or other custodian and who is ungovernable and found to be in need of care, treatment, or supervision;

•

is under the age of ten years and has committed a delinquent act;

•

has

been

formally

adjudicated

dependent,

and

is

under

the

jurisdiction

of

the

court,

subject

to

its

conditions

or

placements and who commits an act which is defined as ungovernable as in #6;

•

has

been

referred

pursuant

to

section

6323

of

the

Juvenile

Act

(relating

to

informal

adjustment)

and

who

commits

an

act which is defined ungovernable as in #6.