Residential Services:
Emergency Shelter and Group Homes
Emergency Shelter
When our community’s law enforcement officials respond to child abuse reports and remove children from unsafe environments, the MCS Emergency Shelter serves as a safe haven for children who need immediate protection and care. Operating since 1979, this shelter provides temporary housing for up to 12 children, ages 6 to 17, who have experienced abuse or neglect.
The Emergency Shelter offers:
- Nurturing care and crisis intervention
- Counseling and advocacy
- Academic support and recreational activities
- Nutritious meals and transportation
Most children stay for approximately two weeks while a more permanent placement is arranged. Children who require long-term foster care may transition to one of our three group homes, where they often remain until they reach adulthood.
Success in the Emergency Shelter is measured by each child’s ability to demonstrate age-appropriate personal safety strategies: an essential skill shown to help reduce the risk of future abuse.
For the year ending September 30, 2025, the shelter served 67 child victims of abuse or neglect. Of these children, 65 (97%) successfully demonstrated at least two age-appropriate personal safety strategies, including identifying unsafe situations, understanding how and when to report threats to their safety, and recognizing appropriate safety boundaries.
While not every safety milestone can be fully measured within a short placement period, each child receives individualized attention, trauma-informed care, and continuous support during their stay. Our goal is to provide immediate safety, emotional stability, and the skills children need to move forward into more permanent, nurturing environments. By focusing on protection, healing, and long-term safety outcomes, we remain committed to helping every child who comes through our doors begin their path toward recovery and healing.
Group Homes
Manatee Children’s Services was the first agency to open licensed group homes for foster children in Manatee County. Due to the high number of children who have been verified as victims of, or are at risk of, human trafficking, our group homes are licensed by the Florida Department of Children and Families to provide specialized, trauma-informed care and support.
Each group home accommodates up to six children, ages 10 to 17, along with 24/7 consistent, nurturing staff care. These homes offer long-term housing and support until children are placed with a permanent foster family, reunified with a family member, or transition to independent living at age 18.
By reducing frequent moves and placement disruptions, children are given the opportunity to experience a stable, safe, and supportive family-style environment, often for the first time in their lives.
Success in our group homes is measured by each child’s ability to develop and master age-appropriate independent living skills. These skills help prepare youth for adulthood while supporting long-term stability and reducing risk factors associated with future abuse and instability.
For the year ending September 30, 2025, 96% of foster children (26 out of 27) receiving long-term care in our residential group homes demonstrated essential independent living skills outlined in their individualized service plans. These skills included personal care, communication, budgeting, household responsibilities, and problem-solving skills critical for future self-sufficiency.
While each child’s journey is unique, our group homes remain focused on providing stability, safety, and the supportive relationships children need to heal, grow, and build successful futures.
How to help our Emergency Shelter and group homes:
- Art therapy supplies
- New socks, shoes, and underwear (all sizes)
- Overnight diapers for older children ages 6+ (such as “Goodnites”)
- New toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, body soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, feminine products)
- Gift cards for children to purchase personal items
- Gift cards for residential program experiences/outings
- General monetary donations for unrestricted funds to support food and household operating expenses
Success Stories
A young male came to the MCS group home at age 16 due to abuse and neglect. He was falling behind in school, had no identification or driver’s permit, had never created a resume before, and lacked emotional boundaries. MCS residential staff got him into therapy through our clinical team, connected him with a new school, and helped him obtain his driver’s license. Staff observed him teaching other children how to exercise and cook. He graduated high school with a plan to go into the military, and MCS staff established a connection to a recruiter for him. This young man aged out successfully with a brighter future thanks to the care and education he received through MCS.
