Our Model of Care
Boys and Girls Country uses a trauma-informed care approach when addressing the needs of the children on our campus. We do this by providing a secure, stable, Christian home environment with an emphasis on education, building healthy relationships and setting goals for the future
What we do
Our Faith in Christ
Putting Christ first in our lives is the motivation for everything we think, say and do
- From the beginning, Boys and Girls Country of Houston, Inc. set out to provide a loving Christian environment for children. Our faith in Christ is what holds everything together and allows us to be successful.
- The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. We are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory (Romans 8:16-17).
- The children are shown the love of Christ with Christian Houseparents who attend church regularly, provide daily prayer and share weekly devotions. Planting a seed is the first step. We continue to pour into each child and allow God’s plan to prosper, to give hope and a future for them (Jerimiah 29:11).
- We build relationships, create family, and know “we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength” (Philippians 4:13).
- We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
Trust
Trust is the foundation for healthy relationships
- Trusting someone means that you believe they are reliable and truthful. You have confidence in them and feel safe with them both physically and emotionally. Trust is the foundation for healthy relationships; however, many of our children come to us not knowing what a healthy relationship looks like.
- Trust does not come immediately; it is something that is earned. At Boys and Girls Country, we use a combination of methods to help a child placed in our care learn to trust. We provide all the basic needs of that child, educationally, medically, physically, spiritually and emotionally. We offer counseling, not only to the child but also with their families. We train our staff in the concepts of Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®). TBRI® aims to provide parents and caregivers with the tools needed to meet the needs of these children. TBRI® training has connection at its core. The truth is: connection builds trust, and trust builds healthy relationships!
Safety
Feeling safe is the point at which a person can develop and grow
- Providing safety for the children at Boys and Girls Country is essential in creating the optimal environment for personal growth and development. Staff are trained to be sensitive to the basic need for children to know that the adults around them will provide for them and protect them, opening the door to exploration of their full potential. When children know they are safe at their core, they are free to attend to normal, developmental tasks.
Empowerment
Knowing that every child has a voice and a choice
- As part of the Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) Principles, empowering children in our care is vital to their success. At Boys and Girls Country, we teach the children in our care the capacity for emotional regulation. These skills can be taught through modeling, practicing co-regulation, and by using physical exercises, daily routines, and/or nurturing activities. The goal is to give children in our care the tools needed to use their brains and bodies to keep their internal states regulated and balanced.
Achievement
Our Vision is that every child has a place to grow up and a sense of being home
- Everything we do at Boys and Girls Country is done with the end in mind: achievement. We begin each day with a clear vision of how to reach our destination. The search is over when children arrive at Boys and Girls Country; they have found a forever family and a forever home here. The government and institutions were never designed to raise children. God’s natural design is for a family to raise a child in a loving home.
- The phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” originates from an African proverb and conveys the message that it takes many people to provide a safe, healthy environment for children, who are given the security they need to develop and flourish, and to be able to realize their hopes and dreams. Achievement is accomplished when a child reaches new heights and milestones that lead to success.
Purpose
Our mission is to change the lives of children from families in crisis by loving and nurturing them in a Christian home environment, raising them to become self-sustaining and contributing adults
- We accomplish our purpose at Boys and Girls Country by being intentional in every decision, from hiring and training staff and volunteers to providing normalcy and stability to children in need. We establish relationships and build trust between staff and with guardians and children.
- As we do so, we provide tools to succeed in numerous areas including interpersonal relationships, a sense of family, felt safety, spiritual growth, purpose-driven education, and independent living, thus establishing a good foundation for children into adulthood.
Belonging
Every child’s hope is to belong and to have meaningful and healthy connections with others
- Creating a nurturing, predictable and consistent environment for children allows them the ability to develop healthy relationships. Staff at Boys and Girls Country help children establish a sense of belonging by being present, listening, helping them feel validated, and teaching them to reflect (as parents would do with their own children) so they can understand that they are safe in their own home.
- This approach helps children build social, emotional and resiliency skills while creating trusting connections with staff. This allows children to remain calm and promotes growth in development.
