Peace of Mind Emerge​ncy Shelter

Peace of Mind is a Bell County emergency shelter for children ranging from age 6 to 17. As an emergency shelter, we provide temporary residential care and specialized services for children who have been abandoned or removed from their homes by Child Protective Services (CPS) due to abuse and/or neglect. On average, the children live in our shelter for 30 days, but may stay up to 90 days depending on their ages and circumstances. When they leave our care, they are placed by CPS with a safe relative, in a foster home, or adopted. We provide them with lifesaving support, including delicious meals and snacks, soft bed to rest their head at night, clothing, shelter, education, clinical, medical, dental, spiritual care, and everything they need to experience and enjoy childhood.

As soon as children walk through our door, Peace of Mind staff members work to create a welcoming and safe environment to ease the pain of the current crisis. During their stay, we provide both the emotional and physical care these children need.

They are often scared, angry, defiant, or withdrawn when they arrive. Our immediate focus is to make them feel safe and nurtured and to give them something they haven’t had normalcy. At Peace of Mind, kids attend school regularly, do chores, go on field trips, celebrate birthday parties, eat nutritionally balanced meals together and are taught responsibility all while under the supervision of our highly trained staff.

Although the stories of what brought children through the doors of Peace of Mind shelters are shocking, their resilience is truly inspirational. It is such a pleasure to see the way they smile while being read to, singing to a baby doll, eagerly climbing steps to the top of the slide, sitting happily, or drawing a picture. Despite all that they’ve been through and seen, they are children, and they have hope.

Our two shelters are designed to provide a safe, comfortable, and welcoming stay for the children. Some of the children have never had a bedroom, never eaten a true family meal, and never had toys and art supplies. They often arrive with just the clothes on their backs. Here, they have their own bed, a place for their belongings, rooms for play, crafts, food, and learning.