Lee And Beulah Moor Children's Home

Since 1959, Lee and Beulah Moor Children?s Home counselors have provided information and referral services to women across the El Paso region who have faced complicated and complex decisions related to unplanned pregnancies. Counselors remain sensitive to the unique nature of the personal, physical, and emotional pain routinely associated with such circumstances. Confidentiality, privacy and professionalism are high priorities in the counseling process. The goals and objectives of agency efforts are to present options, alternatives and factual information without bias. Birthparents are assisted in obtaining services and support as they consider decisions that are in the best interest of all concerned. Birthmothers are provided with additional information regarding medical and hospital services while they are encouraged to obtain appropriate prenatal care for their unborn children. A variety of physicians, clinics and hospitals are resources which have been available and open to providing care for clients receiving counseling through our agency. Counseling services are available to clients before, during and after pregnancy. Should a client choose adoption as an option, the agency is licensed as a Child Placing Agency and is able to arrange placement for the child. The agency has a Foster Care program where children may reside if parents need additional time to make their decision. Each adoption is unique and contact between birthparents, adoptive parents/adoptive child may range from no contact, to periodic de-identified pictures and letters, to an actual face-to face meeting, If no contact is desired initially, but at some later date contact is desired, there is an ?Adoption Registry? whereby an adopted child and birthparents may subsequently have contact. The adoptive child must be twenty-one years of age and receive pre-counseling and the birthparents must also request contact through the registry. If both do not request contact, then no disclosure can occur since all records are sealed at adoption. All children and youth who come to live at Lee and Beulah Moor Children?s Home do so voluntarily. The parents and/or legal conservators remain legally responsible for their children and visit them regularly while they are in care. Parents and conservators are expected to participate actively in all plans for their children (including the timing and plan to return home). The average length of stay for a child is approximately fifteen (15) months. Most remain for a full school year, some may remain at the Home through high school graduation. Typical reasons for a child coming to the Home are: inability of a parent to provide adequate supervision or care for the child, family economic problems or unemployment, school problems, family violence or discord, difficulty with the child?s acceptance of parental divorce or re-marriage, safety or protection problems for the child in his/her living environment, minor behavioral problems, parental health problems, etc. Children in care attend local public schools, area churches and are actively involved in local community life. Family visits are scheduled for every other weekend and holiday periods if the child can return home. Otherwise, supervised visits can be arranged at the Home. Children are encouraged to participate in extracurricular school activities, recreational opportunities, counseling, tutorial services, etc. Once a child is released from care, after-care services and support are available through the Home upon request. Intense and individualized care for infants, toddlers, and children is provided in the home of a couple or an individual who are licensed and supervised by the Lee and Beulah Moor Children?s Home. Foster parents are ?special people? who open their homes and families to provide temporary care and family experience to children who need more individualized attention and care. The length of stay in foster care is much shorter than in other programs (generally three to nine months). Families remain legally responsible for the children while they are in care and visit regularly with the children until they are released from care. The Lee & Beulah Moor Children?s Home strongly believes that every child deserves a permanent plan which includes a stable, loving family, and a place to call ?home.? Agency staff works with birthparents who are unable or unwilling to provide that ?home? directly for a child. Plans are made to indirectly provide for a child with a prospective adoptive family. Prospective adoptive families are studied by staff and prepared to receive children when the situation arises. Birthparents may participate in the selection and match of their child to prospective adoptive families. De-identified information is shared and birthparents, agency staff and adoptive parents participate in the placement decision. The Adoption program is licensed and monitored by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services as a non-profit Child-Placing Agency.

The Lee and Beulah Moor Children’s Home is a gift from the late Lee Moor and his wife to the children of the El Paso region. Mr. Moor provided the initial thirteen (13) acres at 1100 East Cliff Drive as the site for the main residential campus. The first children came to live at the Home in December 1959.  Since that time, thousands of children’s lives and their families have been impacted by staff and services from the Home.   Services are offered without regard to race, religion, culture, gender, national origin or financial condition.   Children ages 0 through 18, whose needs are consistent with agency licensing standards and admission criteria, are eligible for care.

The Home is licensed by the Texas Department of Family & Protective Services as a Residential Care Facility and a Child Placing Agency.   The Home is a charter member of the National Association of Homes and Services for Children and a member of the Texas Association of Licensed Children’s Services.   The Home is a Texas non-profit corporation, governed by an eleven (11) member Board of Directors and is classified by the I.R.S. as a tax exempt charitable organization. The main residential campus in El Paso is composed of offices, cottages, a gym, a library and learning center, several nearby group homes and a support services building.  

The Home also has a recreational camp with small cabins located on 100 acres in Three Rivers, New Mexico.   The camp is west of Ruidoso adjacent to the Lincoln National Forest where a variety of experiential learning opportunities and activities are conducted.