The emergency youth shelter provides short-term supportive housing for up to 37 youth ages 6-18 every night. The highly-individualized program is designed to meet the immediate needs of homeless youth and to equip them with the tools they need to grow into healthy, independent adults. More than 95% of program participants exit into a stable home environment. Although clients typically stay in the program for less than 90 days, they can remain enrolled until our case managers locate a stable alternative living arrangement. During their time in our care, we provide youth with the following no-cost services:
- Basic necessities including shelter, food, clothing, personal hygiene products, and medical and dental care.
- Education services. Youth either attend our on-site Dallas Independent School District-certified classrooms or enroll at a DISD campus near Promise House. Outside of the classroom, the shelter provides educational opportunities through field trips, community service projects, social activities, and ways to engage with volunteers.
- Mental health care. Group and individual counseling and on-site psychiatric care help clients to understand and care for mental problems that might otherwise prevent them from achieving success both during and after their stay at Promise House.
- Family therapy designed to teach constructive parenting techniques and communication skills.
- Life and job skills training. During their time in care, all youth receive age-appropriate life skills training. Some examples include financial literacy, cooking, healthy communication skills, and college and career readiness.
The program is open to all youth, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, CPS status or juvenile justice system involvement. For more information or to enroll in our Emergency Youth Shelter Program, please call our Intake, Assessment, and Diversion Team at 214-941-8578 ext 500.
