Event: Raise the Roof Gala

In 1974, CHILD Foundation, now known as CHILD, Inc., opened the State of Delaware’s first emergency shelter for children and teens traumatized by abuse, neglect, or dependency.  The emergency shelter was named in honor of the late Governor Charles L. Terry, Jr. who was an early supporter of the initiative.  Prior to the opening of the emergency shelter, children who had experienced abuse, neglect or dependency were housed with delinquent youth at Bridge House, the State’s detention facility for youth charged with criminal acts.  By providing a separate emergency shelter for youth in the child welfare system, CHILD, Inc. was able to focus on the unique needs of children who had suffered childhood traumas.  The homelike atmosphere and family routines of the shelter offered stability, safety, and care for the children who were placed there.  

Fifty years later, the Governor Terry Children’s Center (GTCC) is still going strong!  GTCC has sheltered over 5,300 youth since 1974.  In the early days, stays for the children, ages 4 to 17, were limited to a week or two until a foster or treatment resource could be identified or the child was able to return home with supports in place for their families. Currently, the center serves youth between the ages of 9 and 17 with the average stay of 30 to 60 days. The traumas that our teens and pre-teens face are increasingly complex and many have mental health and behavioral challenges that make placement into a foster home difficult.  With the number of foster care homes declining and treatment resources scarce, GTCC is encountering longer stays in shelter for our youth. 

GTCC is housed in a building constructed in 1915. CHILD, Inc. has expanded the facility with two additions over the years. Our goal in this 50th anniversary year is to design and raise funds for a further addition to the home. With up to 10 children housed at GTCC, we plan to enlarge the building to allow for more programming space, a larger functional kitchen, and bedrooms for our girls who are currently triple bunked in small bedrooms.  The proceeds from the CHILD, Inc. gala on November 8, 2024 will help us “Raise the Roof” on a new addition to allow us to better serve the children in our care.