Boys and Girls Country of Houston
Growing Children for Life
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Children need love and nurturing to thrive, and they need food, clothing, shelter, healthcare and education to grow up and become contributing adults. The majority of children coming to Boys and Girls Country are privately, voluntarily placed by families experiencing some sort of crisis: poverty, abuse, neglect, homelessness. Fifty percent are from single-parent homes and 25 percent come from elderly caretaker (usually a grandparent) homes. Only 15 percent come from two parent, intact families.
According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Book, the top four indicators of a child's well-being are family and community, education, economic, and health. In addition to a college and career readiness program, these indicators are the foundational elements of Boys and Girls Country's program.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Residential Program
On our residential campus, 60-70 children live in loving cottage families. Most of the kids come from Harris Country and the average age of newly placed students is 12 years. Children are placed at BGC for a variety of reasons. Many of them experienced trauma and abuse, had been living in poor conditions and had not received proper daily care. The kids can find a loving home at BGC where we provide dedicated trained staff to help them overcome their past trauma, learn to rely on God in every circumstance and grow up in a stable environment. The average stay of a child in a home is 4.6 years, but many stay longer or grow up here. In 2021 BGC served 83 children and young adults.
College and Career Program
In 1997, we developed our College and Career Program to give ongoing support to our high school graduates as they attend college or trade school, serve in the military, or begin a career. We provide financial and staff support, through mentorship as well as direct assistance in setting up an independent life.
Where we work
Awards
Healthiest Charity in Houston 2012
Charity Navigator
4 Star Charity 2016
Charity Navigator
Affiliations & memberships
Council on Accreditation 2020
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of program participants who receive a secondary school diploma or GED
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
Residential Program
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Our goal at Boys and Girls Country is to ensure high school graduation for every child in our care at the time of graduation.
Number of direct care staff who received training in trauma informed care
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
Residential Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Direct care staff, or Teaching Parents, are the backbone of our program, and feel a calling to this work. Teaching parents are well prepared to assume their role: they receive 120 hours of training.
Number of direct care staff who received training in primary prevention strategies and other techniques to avoid the need for restraint and seclusion
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
Residential Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Direct care staff, or Teaching Parents, are the backbone of our program, and feel a calling to this work. Teaching parents are well prepared to assume their role: they receive 120 hours of training b
Number of youth who have a positive adult role model
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
Residential Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The Boys and Girls Country program is made up of a network of cottage families and an extended Christian neighborhood that supports our children as they learn and grow, provides them with educational
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The primary goal of Boys and Girls Country is to provide a home for children from families in crisis and to ensure their care, welfare, safety and security. In addition to furnishing their basic needs, our program works with each child toward two important objectives. First, each child is able to build relationships, acquire responsibilities, and grow and develop within the context of a stable, structured and loving home environment. Second, every child sets and achieves realistic short- and long-term goals with essential behavioral health support and remedial academic tutoring.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The Boys and Girls Country Residential Services program provides a home for children ages 5-18. With the help of dedicated, trained Teaching Parents, we utilize the Teaching Family Model to provide all of our children with stability and structure, opportunities for growth, and consistent modeling. Our programs include:
Counseling
Education and Tutoring
Enrichment (out of school activities and summer program)
Health and Dental Care
Worship and Bible Study
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Since its founding in 1971, Boys and Girls Country has been providing a home for children from families in crisis. Our kids are succeeding in school, graduating from high school and college, learning independent living skills, taking on responsibilities like after school jobs and learning to drive, and growing up with healthy relationships and lots of opportunities to “just be kids."
Boys and Girls Country is led by CEO Vincent Duran and a 39-member Board of Directors who provide fiscal and practical direction. The BGC Board is comprised of members with established interests in the social services, philanthropy and business. Every board member contributes financially to BGC and commits his/her time and insight to help guide the work of the BGC staff through one of nine working committees. The Long Range Planning Committee provides guidance for the agency through the Strategic Plan. Mr. Duran leads a team of 65 staff, including 32 Teaching Parents who provide direct care for our children. All staff is mission-driven, focusing on the well-being of the children in our care. Program supervisors and many of our Teaching Parents hold licenses in child care and social services-related fields.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Fifty years after we began, Boys and Girls Country is a busy community serving over 80-100 children and young adults every year. Our kids are succeeding in school, graduating from high school and college, learning independent living skills, taking on responsibilities like after-school jobs and learning to drive, and growing up with healthy relationships and lots of opportunities to “just be kids."
Some of the milestones of the Boys and Girls Country program include:
2021 highlights:
• provided a loving home for 83 children and young adults
• 7,854 meals served monthly
• 10 children graduated from high school
• 2 students graduated from college (1 bachelor’s degree, 1 associate degree)
• 2,400 tutoring hours provided
• campus GPA was 3.32
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently
Financials
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Boys and Girls Country of Houston
Board of directorsas of 01/19/2023
Mr. Chuck Scianna
Sim-Tex L.P.
Term: 2022 - 2024
Williams Aimone, III
Trenegy
David Bishop
Bishop Lifting Products, Inc.
Mike Gatewood
Merchant's Choice Payment Solutions
Ryan Rodgers
Schlumberger
Chuck Scianna
Sim-Tex, L.P.
Steve Stephens
Amegy Bank of Texas
John Sult
Jim Tomforde
Insurance Alliance
Kristie Trice
Michael Watford
William (Bill) Way
Southwestern Energy Company
Bryan Herr
Country Fresh LLC
Travis Overall
Brookfield Property Partners
Dick Scott
TGS Group
Paul Sorensen
Triple S Tube Supply
Michael White
Woodforest National Bank
Donna Boyer
Cruise Planners/American Express Travel
William Harper
Allen Harrison Company
Barton Duckworth
The Ainbinder Company
Scott Galloway
HFF, L.P.
Brian Austin
Alliance Residential Company
Craig Bunk
IBC Bank
Georgene Britz
Grant Thornton LLP
John Dalton
Carlos De Aledcoa Bueno
Aldecoa Coffee
Kathy Gibson
Fitts, Roberts, Kolkhorst & Co., P.C.
Linsy Goodson
Mirand Response Systems
Raleigh Jenkins
ABC Home and Commercial Services
Charles "Herb" Listen
Ernst & Young
Brad Marks
IW Marks Jewelers
Scott D. Martin
Martin Commercial Interests, LLC
Matthew Mealey
Chevron
Parker Mears
Hancock Whitney
James Miller
Empire Communities
Ben Pisklak
Slate Real Estate Partners
Zach Springer
Newmark Knight Frank
Kristen Stedham
Gatewood Family Foundation
Scott Wegmann
Cushman Wakefield
James Wu
Hugesen Polymers
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 06/24/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.