Southern Christian Services for Children and Youth

Southern Christian Services for Children and Youth, Inc. is a faith-based, nonprofit organization that was incorporated in 1988. The motto “Rebuilding Broken Lives” emphasizes a focus on providing healing for children and youth who have experienced abuse, neglect, and abandonment, as well as equipping them for a more positive and productive future.

Since its inception, Southern Christian Services for Children and Youth has attempted to create services that fill a need rather than duplicate services already provided by other organizations. Our PALS program for homeless teens is the only service in the state that provides a comprehensive array of services for males, females, teen moms, and their babies. We operate the only statewide program of post-adoption services that are designed to support adoptive and foster families. Our therapeutic foster care and adoption program serves children with special needs. Our Independent Living Preparation Program is also the only state-wide program reaching out to all teens in the foster care system.

Recently, SCSCY has partnered with the Jim Casey Foundation to provide more services to youth aging out of foster care. They have also partnered with the Mississippi Department of Human Services to complete SAFE Home Studies for foster parents and to recruit adoptive parents for children that are free for adoption in Mississippi.

Licensed by the Mississippi Department of Human Services and certified by the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, SCSCY is a member agency of the Mississippi Association of Child Caring Agencies.

The vision of the organization is to be an organization that has a positive, recognizable, long-term impact on ALL children and youth in our care by providing professional, cost-effective and timely services.

This project addresses the lack of trauma education available to primarily Mexican and Guatemalan immigrant children/youth in Mississippi. The project pairs with licensed therapists to educate children and youth 10-25 about how to cope with and process trauma, and be safe from being revictimized.

Mission Area: At-Risk Children and Youth

Grant Amount: $5,000