Columbia House: A Refuge for Teens

Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services in Columbia, Missouri has moved! Our new location provides both office and residential space on W. Forest Avenue. Columbia House, as it’s known, offers long-term housing for young women ready to work on personal and professional goals who are aging out of foster care.

The odds are against teens in foster care. Between one third and one half of children in foster care drop out of school. Another third of these children become homeless and just as many, or more, become parents by the age of 20. One the residents, Diana, changed schools five times in four years and assumed graduation from high school would be impossible.

To help girls like Diana, Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services established its Transitional Living program. “We offer counseling, educational resources and life-skills training,” explains Jason Beard, regional director for the agency. “We empower these children to successfully complete their education, find gainful employment and become self-sufficient.”

Diana joined PCHAS when its program housing was located on Raleigh Street and the staff office was on Vandiver. She attended support groups, handled household chores and earned a driver’s permit. Transitional living gave her the stability to stay at one school for her junior and senior years. She graduated last May and is now living with family.

At Columbia House, each girl has her own room. Staff are present around the clock and a bus line is a block away. With a new washer and dryer from the Heinkel Foundation and a fresh coat of paint, the house is becoming a home.

PCHAS has operated a similar program in Springfield, Ashley House, for nearly 40 years. Both programs accept 16-21-year-olds through an application and assessment process. For more information, contact us!