Our History

Serving Lubbock Since 1954

Children’s Home is a community of volunteers, workers and supporters, pouring their efforts together to make life better for children who need to see that caring and love do exist in a world that has often been unfair and unjust. Since the Home opened its doors in 1954, more than 7,200 children have been helped through the Home’s services. 

  • Praised by licensure reviews as one of the best programs in the State of Texas, Children’s Home strongly emphasizes family rehabilitation, with programs of care designed for children and their families. 
  • On any given day, an average of 90 boys and girls are in care in the various programs of Children’s Home of Lubbock. 

Licensure

Children’s Home is licensed and reimbursed for services rendered by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and meets or exceeds all standards established for out-of-home care of children. 

  • Children are served regardless of race, religion, or national origin. 
  • Children’s Home has a debt-free modern group care campus designed to serve 90 children on any given day.
  • Forty-five to sixty more children are served in other programs at the Home. 

All childcare staff receives more than 50 hours of training each year. 

Core Spiritual Training 

Spiritual training is a vital part of each child’s life at the Home. Each cottage worships at a different congregation in the Lubbock community. Staff and children become active participants in the congregation where they worship.

The Board of Directors determines the spiritual training policies, which are then implemented by our staff without regulation by the State. Last year the Home served 244 public sector boys and girls who would not otherwise receive the blessing of knowing about the God who loves them. 

Dr. M. Norvel Young

In the fall of 1951, Dr. M. Norvel Young, who was minister of the Broadway church of Christ, and Fred Pinkston, elder of that church, along with their wives Helen and Roma made plans for a relaxing evening. They decided to travel together to Odessa to a football game and as they journeyed, the conversation turned to the question of Broadway’s next move in trying to better serve the Lord. Several things were discussed, but the conversation kept returning to the service of needy and homeless children. The group envisioned a new type of care for children, a home composed of several individual cottages, each self-contained, with its own mother and daddy and children in a family atmosphere.

The idea was presented to the elders of the Broadway church and to its people, and the time was ripe to go forward in this work for the Lord. Late in 1952 a delegation composed of Dr. Young, J. Lawrence Green, and others visited with Mrs. Ida Collins about purchasing some land for the new children’s home. According to Lawrence Green, she asked how much land they needed. They responded with the suggestion that the home would need 35-40 acres. Mrs. Collins said, “That won’t be enough. You’ll need room for the boys and girls to run, play and work. I’ll give you 200 acres.” In Lawrence Green’s words, “That was half of what she owned.

John B. White

John B. White came from the University church in Austin to be the Founding Superintendent of Children’s Home of Lubbock. He and his wife Vera served the Home faithfully until her death in 1975; Brother White worked until his death in 1992. Floyd Stumbo came to the Home as an assistant to Brother White in 1957 and served as President from 1970 to 1995, when he “retired” to head Children’s Home Foundation. Jimmy Moore currently serves as administrator of the Home.

Today a visionary conversation between two couples traveling to a distant town for a football game has been fulfilled in Children’s Home of Lubbock. Over fifty years since that first little boy came to live at the very first cottage, more than 5,000 children have found a home where a little three year old girl lived and played. Indeed it has become as Ida Collins dreamed — a place for children to run, play and work.

But the past is but prologue to an even more exciting future. As good people have responded for over fifty years, our God will open new doors of opportunity for the tomorrows of the next fifty years and beyond.

Historical Timeline

  • 1952

    1952

    • Norvel and Helen Young and Fred and Roma Pinkston dream of a children’s home and encourage the Broadway church of Christ to move that direction.
  • 1953

    1953

    -Ida Collins deeded the land for the home, May 29th.
    -John White arrives in Lubbock on September 19th.
    -Ground is broken for the first cottage, October 18th.

  • 1954

    1954

    -First child arrives during the dedication of the first cottage, April 18th.
    -Minton Cottage groundbreaking, August 5th.

  • 1954

    1955

    -Foster Cottage is opened on July 30th.
    -Inez Baucum begins work as the first social worker on September 12th.

  • 1956

    1956

    -Groundbreaking for Hardwick Cottage on July 15th.

  • 1957

    1957

    -Floyd Stumbo begins work on October 15th.
    -Farm program begins.
    -Tatum Youth Center opened on November 10th.

  • 1958

    1958

    -Murray Cottage opened on June 8th.

  • 1962

    1962

    -Nairn Administration Building groundbreaking on January 7th.

  • 1965

    1965

    -Reagan Cottage groundbreaking on July 1st.

  • 1968

    1968

    -Baker Cottage dedicated on April 20th.

  • 1970

    1970

    -John White “retires.” Floyd Stumbo becomes President on September 6th.

  • 1973

    1973

    -The Boverie Pool opened in July.

  • 1974

    1974

    -Hill Cottage opened on January 12th.
    -Lamesa Cottage groundbreaking on April 6th.

  • 1976

    1976

    -Groundbreaking for the Crump Social Work Center on March 22nd.

  • 1979

    1979

    -Pioneer Park church gives the Coronado Children’s Home to Children’s Home of Lubbock. It is named the Pioneer Park Cottage.

  • 1985

    1985

    -Mabee Gym is dedicated February 23rd.

  • 1988

    1988

    -Tatum Youth Center is rededicated as the Tatum Skills Center on July 31st. The Rogers Library is dedicated.

  • 1992

    1992

    -The Home begins its therapeutic group care program.

  • 1995

    1995

    -Texas Boys Ranch becomes an affiliate of the Home on August 1st.
    -Lynn R. Harms becomes the 3rd President of the Home, October 1st.

  • 1997

    1997

    -Mason Cottage is dedicated as an assessment center/emergency shelter on September 21st.

  • 2000

    2000

    -Heath-Roberson Life Skills Center is dedicated on October 2nd.

  • 2002

    2002

    -Reagan Cottage is rededicated as the Family Care Cottage on August 25th.

  • 2003

    2003

    -Pioneer Park Cottage becomes home to the Young Mother Program.

  • 2004

    2004

    -Funds are given to renovate Scarborough Cottage as the Jeffrey Moritz Administration Center.
    -The Home celebrates its 50th Anniversary on April 18th.

  • 2005

    2005

    -Moritz Administration Center is dedicated on June 21st.

  • 2006

    2006

    -Dedication of the Geneva Griffin Center for Children’s Services on March 28th.

  • 2007

    2007

    -Floyd Stumbo’s 50th anniversary of employment is celebrated on October 15th.
    -The Stumbo Pavillion is built.

  • 2008

    2008

    -In April, The Home celebrates it’s 750th adoption since it’s beginning in 1954.

  • 2010

    2010

    -Ribbon cutting for the Counseling Center on September 18.

  • 2014

    2014

    -60 Years of Serving Children celebrated on April 18.

  • 2016

    2016

    -Jimmy Moore becomes the Home’s fourth president.

  • 2020

    2020

    -The Home celebrates its 1,000th adoption.

Want to Know More?

Children’s Home of Lubbock is located one mile outside the east loop, on the Idalou Highway (Highway 62/82).

Visitors are always welcome. We encourage you to call ahead to arrange a tour of the campus.

Luke Mason
Director of Development
[email protected]
806-762-0481 ext 206


Manifesting Christ through excellence in childcare.

Contact

4404 Idalou Road Lubbock, TX 79403

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