O'Connell Children's Shelter

O'Connell Children's Shelter The Children's Shelter and O'Connell Youth Ranch merged 11/1/21 to form O'Connell Children's Shelter

The Children's Shelter and O'Connell Youth Ranch merged on Nov. 1, 2021, becoming O'Connell Children's Shelter. We offer residential services to youth in care, prevention services to at-risk children and families, and foster home support.

We're excited to welcome you to our new website!Whether you're looking for support, interested in volunteering, explorin...
06/20/2026

We're excited to welcome you to our new website!

Whether you're looking for support, interested in volunteering, exploring ways to give, or simply wanting to learn more about O'Connell Children's Shelter, our updated website makes it easier than ever to connect with us.

On the site, you can:
đź’™ Learn about our programs and services
đź’™ Read the latest news and updates
đź’™ Donate or volunteer
đź’™ Connect with our team
đź’™ Sign up for our newsletter and stay informed about the impact happening every day

We invite you to take a look and explore all the ways OCS is working to strengthen children, youth, and families across our community.

Visit us at oconnellchildrensshelter.org.

We're excited to share that a very special milestone is just around the corner! On July 28, we'll celebrate 50 years of ...
06/17/2026

We're excited to share that a very special milestone is just around the corner!

On July 28, we'll celebrate 50 years of serving children, youth, and families in our community with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and anniversary celebration honoring O'Connell Children's Shelter and Elsie's Place.

This event represents five decades of hope, support, and partnership, and we can't wait to celebrate with the community that has made it all possible.

Save the date! We hope you'll join us as we honor our past and look ahead to the future.

RSVP Today: đź”— www.oconnellchildrensshelter.org

đź’š Want to help children and families in our community, but not sure where to start?There is more than one way to make a ...
06/16/2026

đź’š Want to help children and families in our community, but not sure where to start?
There is more than one way to make a difference.
You can:
🏡 Become a foster parent
🤝 Serve as a mentor
đź’š Provide respite care
🎉 Volunteer at events
📦 Donate needed items
📢 Help spread awareness
Every role matters.
When a community comes together to support children and families, hope grows stronger for everyone.
Interested in learning more? Check out our website: https://oconnellchildrensshelter.org/volunteer/

If you're looking for an organization to help in a really simple way, go to this original post, and tag us please. The k...
06/15/2026

If you're looking for an organization to help in a really simple way, go to this original post, and tag us please. The kids love wings! Add in a salad from the garden and more appealing to the young people, some kind of dessert, and we have a summer celebration. Thanks in advance!

You don't have to foster, volunteer, or work in social services to make a difference.Sometimes helping a family starts w...
06/12/2026

You don't have to foster, volunteer, or work in social services to make a difference.

Sometimes helping a family starts with knowing where to send them.

📍 Catch our Prevention Case Management Team at the Lawrence Public Library on June 18 from 3–6 PM. Stop by, grab resources, ask questions, and learn what's available right here in our community.

Community care starts with sharing good information. đź’š

Fresh paint, fresh purpose: Thank you to the Lawrence Central Rotary Club for giving this special bench/table combo a fr...
06/11/2026

Fresh paint, fresh purpose: Thank you to the Lawrence Central Rotary Club for giving this special bench/table combo a fresh new look for Elsie’s Place! Built by Lee Meisel and his grandpa for Leeway Franks, it’s now bringing new life to our grounds. Stop by and take a seat!

đź’™ June is Family Reunification Month.When most people think about foster care, they think about placement. But one of th...
06/09/2026

đź’™ June is Family Reunification Month.
When most people think about foster care, they think about placement. But one of the most important goals of foster care is helping families heal, grow, and reconnect safely whenever possible.
Reunification is rarely a straight path. It takes hard work, support, encouragement, and a community willing to walk alongside families during difficult seasons. Foster families, kinship caregivers, case managers, mentors, and community partners all play a role in helping children maintain connections and build brighter futures.
At O'Connell Children's Shelter, we believe every child deserves safety, stability, and the opportunity to thrive—and whenever possible, that includes helping families reunify successfully.
Because strong families build strong communities. đź’š

Emily, a teaching assistant in our QRTP Residential program, has worked for us for one year today! Teaching assistants a...
06/06/2026

Emily, a teaching assistant in our QRTP Residential program, has worked for us for one year today! Teaching assistants are responsible for the day-to-day activities with our youth, including transporting them to school and work, organizing after-school outings, and ensuring the smooth running of the house around meal- and chore-times. Emily says her favorite part of her job is the constant opportunity to learn new things. A reflection of this love of learning is Emily is in the process of transitioning to a new role as a case coordinator--adding responsibilities to her work, e.g., scheduling youth appointments, developing case goals with case team and youth, and ensuring the youth's case files are kept up to date and accurate. Outside of work, Emily enjoys hiking, pickleball, and reading. Congratulations on your first work anniversary, Emily!

If you’re out enjoying the market, stop by and say hello. We’d love to share more about how O’Connell Children’s Shelter...
06/06/2026

If you’re out enjoying the market, stop by and say hello. We’d love to share more about how O’Connell Children’s Shelter supports youth and families across our community through foster care, prevention services, mentoring, respite care, and more.

Can’t make it to the market?

You can still make a difference by:
đź’™ Visiting our website to learn more about our programs https://oconnellchildrensshelter.org/
đź’™ Making a donation to support local youth and families
💙 Sharing this post to help us reach someone who may need our services—or someone looking for a way to help

Every share, every conversation, and every act of support helps Hope Grow Here.

Maren, our director of development and communications, is celebrating her 8-year work anniversary today! Maren leads our...
06/05/2026

Maren, our director of development and communications, is celebrating her 8-year work anniversary today! Maren leads our messaging and fundraising efforts in the community. She is responsible for organizing the Festival of Trees every year and has been instrumental with our Hope Grows Here Campaign. A die-hard Swiftie, one of Maren's favorite memories is attending the Eras tour with two close friends. Maren also enjoys going to sporting events, especially the KC Royals and KC Current, and collecting baseball hats and shoes. Congratulations on your work anniversary, Maren!

Address

1925 Delaware Street
Lawrence, KS
66046

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 12pm
1pm - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 12pm
1pm - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 12pm
1pm - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 12pm
1pm - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 12pm
1pm - 5pm

Telephone

+17858429356

Website

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