Family Resource Centers - Amarillo, DFW, Houston, Austin, Austin

The core of our efforts at Cal Farley’s lies in direct programs and services for the youngsters living at Boys Ranch and Girlstown, U.S.A.  Our founder’s vision was to create a safe and nurturing environment for children who, for one reason or another, were in danger of dropping out of school and giving in to the negative pressures of society.  Since 1939, we have continued Mr. Farley’s legacy of helping youngsters; however, the problems facing children and families today are very different than they were back then.  In an effort to “change with the times” and continue meeting the needs of our communities, we have started several outreach programs.  

One such program is the Family Resource Center (FRC), which we have implemented in Houston, the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Amarillo and more recently, in Austin.  The FRC concept is a three-pronged operation which actively encourages family preservation, provides a direct link to campus staff, and assists families with in-home services while their child is on the waiting list for admission to our campuses. 

FRC staff at all four locations have been able to provide services such as counseling, goal setting, case management, referrals to other agencies, and, when appropriate, guidance regarding Cal Farley’s intake process.  FRC staff members have helped to prevent family situations from becoming unmanageable or explosive while waiting for a child to be admitted, while families with children living at our campuses benefit from more personalized contact. 

In addition, FRC staff members have assisted parents by teaching parenting skills so they can provide a more structured and supportive environment in preparation for eventual reunification with their child.  In many cases, family reunification efforts fail due to a lack of readiness on the part of the family.  A case manager located nearer the homes of these families may help to improve success by offering parenting guidance and suggesting changes to the family dynamic in order to accommodate the positive changes in their child.  Furthermore, having an office in closer proximity to alumni provides a means of maintaining communication that may otherwise be hampered by distance. 

The FRC outreach office in Arlington began operations in June 2003; our FRC in Amarillo opened in August 2004; the FRC office in Houston opened its doors early in 2005 and our newest office in Austin just opened this new year.

Click here to contact the Community Based Services Department