Baylor Scott & White Health McLane Children’s Medical Center has been designated a Safe Place for young people seeking shelter.
When children and adolescents face circumstances like abuse, neglect or homelessness, they often have nowhere to turn. Safe Places provide a secure place where trained personnel can offer counsel and shelter.
“Safe Places are important because they give young people access to help when they need it the most,” said Kayla Cehand, trauma coordinator at McLane Children’s. “McLane Children’s is proud to receive this designation and play a role in keeping our community safe.”
McLane Children’s is the first Safe Place location in Temple. Receiving this designation means that local children and adolescents facing crisis situations will have somewhere to turn for help. McLane Children’s staff has been trained on how to interact with young people who are seeking a safe place.
“We’re proud to be a place where youth know they can go to be safe and protected, and get connected to resources to help them out of whatever circumstance they’re facing,” said Ellen Hansen, chief nursing officer and chief operating officer at McLane Children’s. “Being a Safe Place means that they can walk through our doors and know they’re going to be taken care of. To kids and teenagers in these difficult situations, that makes all the difference.”
Safe Place is a national youth outreach and prevention program that designates U.S. locations for youths when they need immediate help or safety. According to Safe Place, national agencies estimate between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth run away from home each year. There are over 20,000 U.S. Safe Places. Since the organization’s start in 1983, more than 166,000 youth have been connected to immediate help and safety at a Safe Place location.