Four Corners shelter builds new emergency placement home for children

FARMINGTON, N.M. – One New Mexico children’s shelter is building a new chapter for children in emergency situations. 

The Four Corners Home for Children started in 1953.

“At the time Navajo children, we now take children of any ethnicity, any child of need has a home here at Four Corners Home for Children,” said Annette Reich, president of Four Corners Home for Children. 

Almost 70 years later, that need is still large in the Four Corners,  

“Between tribal social services and New Mexico CYFD, we receive calls on a weekly basis for children, who need a home, need to be placed. Whether for a short period of time or longer,” Reich said. “They are brought to us by authorities sometimes police officers, sometimes social service agents, and case workers, and we have staff ready to take them in around the clock.”

But Four Corners Home for Children has a need of their own,

“The current facility is also I believe it was built in the ‘60s. So a brand-new facility for the children is just a fantastic thing for us, for our community, and for the kids,” said Reich.  

The wooden frames on the property will become a new home for children with no place to go. 

“Which will comprise our brand-new House of Hope. The House of Hope program is over 20 years old, we have cared for over 500 children in that program in that time, and these children come from emergency situations, crisis type situations. Whether that be domestic violence or other things in the home that would keep them from staying,” Reich said. 

So, the shelter has been raising money since August, but still has a ways to go. 

“We have approximately one-third of the money we need to build the home, we have no doubt the rest will come in,” Reich added. 

To thank the community, Four Corners Home for Children will have a live nativity scene open to the community on Dec. 22 from 6 to 8 p.m.