...is a warm, compassionate place for the young girl or woman
between the ages of 12 to 23, who needs "a home away from home" during
her pregnancy. It's a place where she can deal with the past and
prepare for her future and the future of her unborn child. Cherish House is a Christian home for young women who are facing an unplanned pregnancy and need a place to go to think.
Being pregnant at this time of your life may not be what you had planned. But there is hope … and help…at Cherish House. A call to 712-338-3333 will provide answers for your questions.
A Home-Not An Institution
Cherish House is a beautiful new home that can house up
to six girls at a time. The
key word being HOME. Cherish House looks like and functions just like a
home. Our goal is to provide a "Home away from home" for the girls who live at Cherish House while they prepare for the birth of their baby. The girls will live much like a family--cooking, cleaning and
caring for one another according to their physical abilities and stage of pregnancy. This family-style home is staffed with full time house
parents who are very good at listening and will always be there to help her develop her full potential in
a loving and nurturing home environment. There is no cost for girls to live at Cherish House. More
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Much More Than Just Another Social Program
The key difference between Cherish House and other programs helping pregnant
women is that the goal is to bring about a life change which ends the
cycle of self-defeating behavior. This maternity home
was founded on the belief that a personal relationship with Christ is
at the center of life change. The circumstances which bring young women to Cherish House is of no importance to us, while who they are and how they feel
about themselves when they leave is of great importance to us. Love which is founded in Grace is the main element of success of our program at Cherish House. More
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Housing After Your Baby Is Born
Girls choosing to parent their baby will live at Cherish House until the baby is born then they will either move back home, out on their own into an apartment or to a Shepherding Home if there is no where else to go. A
Shepherding home is usually made up of a family that has decided to
help young ladies who have no where to go after they have their baby. The Shepherding home is arranged months before the birth of the baby so the girls will have met them, spent time with them and be comfortable with the family they will be living with after the baby is born. The length of time a girl will be staying with the Shepherding Home family will be worked out with the family before hand.
Sometimes it is for a few months and other times it is for much longer.
It all depends on the need and the family who agrees to be the Shepherding Home. The girl and her baby will be able to stay as long as the terms have outlined in the Shepherding Home agreement. Girls choosing adoption may return to Cherish House for 3 months to 1 year after their baby is born if they have no where else to go. More
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Help For Families
To make the process easier on families we can meet the family and the young women in their home, at school, at our office, or at another location that is convenient for her and / or the family. All calls are confidential, our services are free. We even offer transportation assistance for those who need help getting to Cherish House and are unable to locate transportation. Many families have commented how much Cherish House has helped their entire family through the free counseling and adoption assistance when needed. Parents benefit by having a completely changed daughter after completing their stay at Cherish House. Every parent has commented on the positive improvement in their daughter upon them returning home from Cherish House.
Adoption Counseling And Parenting Classes
All young women will receive counseling to help them decide what to do once
their child is born. Young women who decide to raise their babies will
be required to attend rigorous parenting classes. Those who choose adoption
will be well-informed about their options and completely assisted through the process. If a mother chooses to place her baby for adoption she will have the option of returning to Cherish House for an additional 3 months to a year if she has no where else to go after the baby is born. More Information....
