CrossRoads Youth and Family Services began operations on September 1, 1972.  Until it’s opening there was not a  facility in this area for delinquent or pre-delinquent youth.  In 1971, 499 referrals were made to the Victoria County Probation Department.  Of these referrals, 86 juveniles were placed in detention either in the Victoria Police Department or the Victoria Sheriff's Department due to no other placement being available.  The same was true of children who were taken into custody by the Victoria City/County Welfare Unit.  Unless foster home placements were available, children were also detained by law enforcement agencies.  Mrs. Anna May Dunn, a member of the Junior Service League and a volunteer with the Child Welfare Unit, began to encourage the creation of a facility like CrossRoads Youth and Family Services.  The facility would provide temporary quarters for children until such arrangements could be made so that they would not be placed in detention.  

About one year prior to the opening of the home, a Board of Directors was selected from 20 prominent and interested local citizens.  Included on the board was an advisory committee consisting of the two District Judges, the County Judge, a Police representative, the Sheriff, the Chief Probation Officer and the Director of Child Welfare.  The board and the advisory committee meet monthly to handle the business of the home.  The Victoria Junior Service League, the City and County of Victoria, and the Criminal Justice Division of the Office of the Governor, State of Texas financed the home.  A house was leased from Dr. and Mrs. Charles Bishop for a period of five years.

 

CrossRoads Youth and Family Services was originally set up to operate under a plan using house parents, a male counselor and a maid/cook.  After being unsuccessful with two sets of house parents for various reasons, the organizational format was changed.  On July 30, 1973, an administrator was hired to re-staff, re-evaluate and set up a program that would fulfill the purposes set forth in the original plans.  CrossRoads Youth and Family Services was fully staffed during September, 1973, and an application was submitted to the Department of Public Welfare to license the home as a child caring institution, providing 24-hour care for children.  In March, 1974, all the licensing standards were met and the facility received the official license in June, 1974.  The home's director also received his license as a childcare facility administrator at this time.  During the summer of 1974, CrossRoads Youth and Family Services applied for and received a second grant from the Criminal Justice Council.  The funding sources continued to be the Criminal Justice Division, Junior Service League, and the City and County of Victoria.

 

In early 1976, the Board of Directors was informed that the Bishop property had been sold and that CrossRoads Youth and Family Services would have to move.  During March, the Victoria Airport Commission made a building, located at the Regional Airport, available for use by CrossRoads Youth and Family Services.  The building had previously been occupied by the Devereaux Foundation and was in need of much repair and remodeling.  The renovation of the building began in May, 1976.  Mr.  Herndon Scott, chairman of the Airport Commission and president of Safety Steel Services, was very instrumental  in assisting with the work.  He provided Airport and Safety Steel personnel for most of the labor, painting and carpentry.  The City of Victoria, Victoria County, and Golden Crescent Council of Governments also provided personnel and technical assistance.  Individual board members co-signed a $50,000.00 note with the American Bank of Commerce to finance the renovation.  A fund raising campaign was launched to pay for the work and for the move.  This campaign realized over $50,000.00.  Together with Youth Home reserve funds, the entire project was paid-in-full by mid 1977.  CrossRoads Youth and Family Services moved into the new building on October 6, 1976 and the Department of Human Resources began providing funds to pay for placement of children from counties within the Golden Crescent Council of Governments.

 

Though most of our work is done with children from the local seven county area, CrossRoads Youth and Family Services now provides services for children from most of the 46 counties in the Department of Family Protective Service’s (TDFPS) Regions 8 and 11.  These regions include all counties south of a line formed by Jackson, Gillespie and Val Verde counties on the North side of the regions.  Private donations, foundation grants, the County of Victoria and the Texas Department of Family Protective Services currently fund the Youth Home.

 

In June, 1993, CrossRoads Youth and Family Services began providing assessment services for all the children taken into care by the TDFPS.  Through these new services we maximize our chances of attaining a successful permanent placement for the child in the minimum amount of time possible.  We are now providing services for an average daily population of 24 children, three times our pre-Assessment Center population.  There have been approximately 4,100 children placed in the home since we opened our doors in 1972. 

 

As a community partner, in answer to an identified need, CrossRoads Youth and Family Services began providing prevention services to at risk children and their families, first through the TDFPS STAR (Services to At-Risk Youth) Program beginning in 1995 and in 2000 the SNAP (Students in Need of Assistance Program) collaboration.  Between the two programs we have served more than 3000 at-risk youth and their families.

 

Demand for quality emergency shelter services, assessment services and family support services continues to grow.  CrossRoads Youth and Family Services enjoys the total support and confidence of referring agencies because the services we provide are continually improved and expanded to better meet the needs of at risk children and their families.  For 30 years CrossRoads Youth and Family Services has been a vital placement alternative for area agencies working with at-risk, abandoned, neglected and abused children.  We are proud of our history of service to children and families and look forward to continuing our work as long as there a need for it.