| The dedication of CCYS on September 13, 1986, marked the culmination of a dream. Community leaders and Judge Clementine Barthold of Superior Court #1 were responding to the awful truth that abused and neglected youth, as well as truants were locked in the Clark County Jail because there was nowhere else for them to go. They conceived the idea of a community-based youth shelter which would offer youth a safe alternative when there was no place else to go. As a result of their tireless efforts, the shelter was incorporate in 1984 and opened its doors on a sunny September day in 1986. Originally, the shelter provided only primary care (food, shelter, and clothing) and counseling services. The need for support services was immediately obvious. Over the next few years, CCYS would add, refine, and expand programs to meet the needs of the youth and families served. On CCYS’s tenth anniversary, its name changed to the Clark County Youth Shelter & Family Services, Inc. This change was intended to reflect the focus of the agency, while affirming its continued dedication to providing emergency shelter and care services to youth in the community. Today the goal of CCYS is to provide support services for youth and families. The mission statement is "Serving youth and families in a safe and caring environment." CCYS is the Youth Services Bureau of Clark County, and has four core goals: community education, juvenile delinquency prevention, information and referral, and youth advocacy. |
