Louisiana United Methodist Children and Family Services

Louisiana United Methodist Children and Family Services (aka "Methodist Children's Home"​) has cared for thousands of Louisiana's children and families during its 120-year history. We minister to children and families across the spectrum of need. We provide an array of ministries across Louisiana from intensive, home-based services delivered to families in their own communities, to the state's most active network of therapeutic foster homes, to Louisiana's most intensive residential treatment services for children with severe emotional and behavioral needs who are unable to live at home with community-based supports. Methodist Children's Home of Southwest Louisiana in Sulphur, Methodist Children's Home of Southeast Louisiana in Loranger, and Louisiana Methodist Children's Home in Ruston are licensed by the Louisiana Department of Health/Health Standards as psychiatric residential treatment facilities. Our Methodist Foster Care program recruits, trains and certifies therapeutic foster families throughout Louisiana from regional offices in Ruston, Monroe, Alexandria, Covington, Shreveport, and Lafayette. We are recruiting families throughout the state. In addition to therapeutic foster care services, Methodist Foster Care provides Kinship Navigator services for relative caregivers, and created the Louisiana Foster Care Support Organization which provides services to all of Louisiana's foster caregivers. We provide alternative school services in Ruston, Louisiana, at Howard School and we provide vocational training for older adolescents at the Allen Career and Vocational Training Center on the grounds of Louisiana Methodist Children's Home. The Outdoor Wilderness Learning Center provides experiential services to children and families, while the OWL Equine Center specializes in therapeutic riding for children with developmental disabilities.