Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What is The Center for Children & Young Adults? A: The Center for Children & Young Adults is a private nonprofit organization located in Marietta, Georgia. We provide residential care for homeless children and youth in state custody. Among our homes on campus, we operate 4 residential programs:
- Open Gate serves girls ages 12–17,
- Another Chance serves boys ages 12–17,
- and Life Works is a Transitional Living Program for male and female youth ages 17–20.
- Q: How do children and youth arrive at The Center? A: Youth are referred to CCYA through social services, law enforcement, schools and other community service providers. Because all minors under age 18 must be in the custody of a caregiver, and where absent the Georgia Department of Human Services, all youth referred must be reported and processed through the Georgia Department of Family & Children Services prior to intake. This is a swift and 24-hour accessible process.
- Q: Why are the children and youth at The Center? A: The youth we serve, boys and girls ages 12-20, are in need of shelter, treatment, care, and supervision because their caregivers are either unwilling, homeless, incarcerated, suffer from addiction\mental illness, or are deceased. Some youth live at CCYA for a few weeks while others stay for more than a year. Their length of stay depends on resources and placement options available to them. For many youth, because of their age (16\17), they will age out of shelter care into adulthood. Our youth are at risk for homelessness, poverty, multiple placements, gaps in education, lack of preventative health and dental care, sexual abuse\exploitation, mental health diagnoses (depression, bipolar, ADHD, etc.), and lack of skills for self-sufficiency. Youth at Life Works have no other family resource for housing and are working towards self sufficiency in adulthood.
- Q: How many children can The Center serve? A: The Center can serve up to 39 children and young adults at one time. Open Gate has 9 beds, Another Chance has 12 beds, TLP Prep has 8 beds and Life Works has 10 beds. We are planning to expand Open Gate to include 8 new beds for TLP Prep girls (ages 16-17).
- Q: How long do kids stay at The Center? A: The length of stay for each child in each program varies depending on their circumstances. Some youth only need temporary, emergency placement while others will stay with us for a few years and may eventually transition into our transitional living program, Life Works.
- Q: Where do children go when they leave The Center? A: Some youth transition to foster homes or guardianship with non-relatives; others reunite with relatives including parents who have completed case plans or treatment programs; some transition to college dorms or their own apartments at age 18+. Few leave care at 18 without a plan or are asked to leave for non-compliance. Sometimes youth are moved to a higher level of care facility for mental health and behavioral health needs. Occasionally, a youth runs away from The Center or is hospitalized for suicidal ideation, but this is not common.
- Q: How is The Center funded? A: The Center relies heavily on individual donations, corporate giving, foundation grants, support from faith-based organizations and civic leagues & Clubs, business membership donations, Youth Groups from schools, scouting, & service organizations as well as proceeds from fundraising events and government grants and contracts.
- Q: Who governs The Center? A: A Volunteer Board of Directors consisting of individuals representing a wide array of industries governs The Center. These individuals volunteer their time and talents to oversee the continued operation of The Center. They also work directly with the agency’s leadership to determine the future programs and projects for the agency. The board creates an agency strategic plan every three years.
- Q: Where do the kids attend school? A: Upon admission the educational needs of each boy and girl are assessed. The youth in our care typically attend local public schools, and they are transported by Center staff.
- Q: What are some of The Center’s current needs? A: Visit our Make a Donation page or see our Wish List of current needs.
- Q: What do I do if I suspect my neighbor is abusing their children? A: Contact the local police department and your county’s Department of Family and Children Services. In an emergency situation, call 911. It is important to report all suspicions of child maltreatment.