Children's Treatment Center Update

For many years, Canyon Acres has provided high-level residential care and treatment at our Ranch. Since 1980, abused, neglected, abandoned and troubled children have come to Canyon Acres for a safe and healthy home. Because of your generous support, we have been proud and honored to provide these wonderful homes for these special children.

Over the last 10 years, however, a monumental transformation has taken place in the field of child welfare in Orange County as well as throughout the state and country. Canyon Acres has been working hand-in-hand with high-level county child welfare and mental health officials to develop programs that help keep children in their own neighborhoods, schools, and, in some cases, families. All over Orange and surrounding counties, Canyon Acres staff is working diligently to help children be safe and healthy within their own communities. Given the growth and success of these community-based, non-residential programs, many of which Canyon Acres currently provides, the number of children being referred to our residential program has decreased dramatically and the continuation of the program is no longer viable.

In light of this dramatic change, and because of other state-wide changes within the child welfare system, we are repurposing the Ranch facility and our two community group homes. Children will not be living at the Ranch anymore, but through a newly developed treatment program will still continue to come to the Ranch each day to receive the individualized help and care they need.

What's most promising about this new plan is that it enables us to open the Ranch facility and all that it offers to help even more children. In collaboration with Orange County's Health Care Agency, the new “Canyon Acres Children's Treatment Center” will continue serving many of the same children that are currently living with us. Other programs will also be developed to fully utilize this beautiful property for the benefit of needy kids. This is a wonderful opportunity to continue our work in new and exciting ways. It also enables us to expand our work within our current programs offering even more services to children living in our foster and wraparound service family homes.

We are proud that Canyon Acres has evolved to meet the changing and expanding needs of children and families in our community. This most recent program change is another example of how we are staying on the cutting edge of serving and helping children and families right here in Southern California – our response to what children and families say they need most.

We are grateful for your help and support and continue to value, and need each and every volunteer, donor and supporter in the Canyon Acres family.

We will always be there for children who are hurting – that you can count on.