Organization Profile
The Ocean County Children’s Shelter is a 12-bed facility providing residential care to children in a non-physically restrictive environment. The Shelter provides short-term care and supervision for children under the age of 18 who have been determined by the Family Court, the Family Intake Unit, or the Ocean County Crisis Intervention Unit to be eligible for such placement. Length of stay normally does not exceed 30 days unless extenuating circumstances exist. While directly under the auspices of the Department of Juvenile Services, the Shelter is contracted out to community mental health agencies in Ocean County. The Children’s Shelter is designed to meet the needs of each child during this difficult transition period. In addition to providing for the child’s basic needs, including shelter, food, clothing, and medical care, the program includes individual counseling, group therapy, family therapy, and life skills training. The mission of the Ocean Co. Children’s Shelter extends to the prevention of any abridgement of the child’s legal rights; the provision of all emotional, educational, and religious needs of the child; and the assurance that each child is housed in a safe, humane environment with a level of security that ensures personal safety. The main objective of the Shelter is to facilitate a seamless continuum of community-based activities in a manner that is least disruptive and most supportive to the children in its care.
