About Us
Our History
The Child Crisis Center of El Paso (CCCEP), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, began in 1980 with a heartbreaking story that continues to be seen in children at our shelter today.
On October 13th, 1973, a two-year-old boy was taken to William Beaumont Army Hospital. He was crying with pain, vomiting, was malnourished, and unable to walk. Doctors soon discovered that he had endured a fractured skull only one month before. The child’s parents couldn’t explain any of the injuries. The boy recovered from a coma that he fell into, but had lost his sight and is blind to this day. That little boy was the grandson of our founders, George and Mary Russell. Our founders’ tragic experience of child abuse in her family led her to be determined to prevent other children from suffering such unnecessary harm. That same determination is found within our staff and has led our agency to develop a comprehensive approach to preventing child abuse and neglect.
The Child Crisis Center now has a long history of providing crisis shelter care to young children, newborns through 15 years in our Circle of Love Nursery and Children’s Shelter. The Center continues to develop progressive and innovative approaches in working with families and children. Other communities in Texas have called upon the Center, requesting advice and assistance in establishing similar programs.
Services are provided to families throughout the El Paso community, regardless of residency, income, age, ethnicity, or culture. The range of services runs from immediate crisis intervention when a family is facing an emergency to longer-term education. Homeless families, families facing medical emergencies, long-term chronic health problems, substance abuse issues, and families with incarcerated persons are all served daily.
In addition to the shelter, the Child Crisis Center has a menu of programs that aim to proactively curb the proliferation of child abuse and neglect.
The Military Families and Veterans Prevention Program, or MFVPP, was launched in 2016. They employ prior enlisted and/or spouses of active-duty soldiers who are better able to assist the unique needs of our country’s military service members. They provide parenting classes through the S.T.E.P. Parenting program and offer case management services. The center is assisted by the Big Brothers Big Sisters of El Paso who provide mentoring for the children of the service members. The MFVPP is funded through the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services’ Prevention and Early Intervention initiative.
We are CARF accredited
The Child Crisis Center of El Paso is committed to delivering high-quality services to our persons served. We are equally committed to maintaining a high level of quality standards for business practice.
We are proud to demonstrate this commitment by achieving CARF accreditation for the following Child and Youth Services.
What is CARF accreditation?
When considering a Child and Youth Services provider, how do you evaluate the different available options? Where do you look to determine which providers may offer the highest quality services? The answer is CARF International.
CARF International is an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services providers in the areas of Aging Services, Behavioral Health, Child and Youth Services, Durable Medical Equipment, Employment and Community Services, Medical Rehabilitation, Opioid Treatment Programs, and Vision Rehabilitation Services.
Programs and services that are CARF accredited have demonstrated their conformance to internationally recognized standards for service delivery. They have demonstrated their commitment to continuous quality improvement and a consumer-driven focus.
Person-centered services
Persons served play an active and vital role in the CARF accreditation process, from helping to develop the international performance standards to giving input on the quality of services they receive. Through accreditation, providers demonstrate their belief that all people have the right to be treated with dignity and respect, have access to needed services that achieve optimum outcomes, and are empowered to exercise informed choice. The Child Crisis Center of El Paso is pleased to join CARF in this mission.
For more information about CARF International, the standards, or the accreditation process, visit www.carf.org.
December 24,2019: Ft. Bliss Military Police and McGruff spend time with our children.
DECEMBER 27, 2019: U.S. Customs and Border Protection bring toys, Santa, Mrs. Clause, their helpers, and the Grinch to enjoy some playtime with the c
