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.

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.

šŸ“ Catch our Prevention Case Management Team at the Lawrence Public Library on June 18 from 3ā€“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. šŸ’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 Elsieā€™s Place! Built by Lee Meisel and his grandpa for Leeway Franks, itā€™s now bringing new life to our grounds. Stop by and take a seat!

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

šŸ’™ 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 thriveā€”and whenever possible, that includes helping families reunify successfully.
Because strong families build strong communities. šŸ’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 youā€™re out enjoying the market, stop by and say hello. Weā€™d love to share more about how Oā€™Connell Childrenā€™s Shelter...
06/06/2026

If youā€™re out enjoying the market, stop by and say hello. Weā€™d love to share more about how Oā€™Connell Childrenā€™s Shelter supports youth and families across our community through foster care, prevention services, mentoring, respite care, and more.

Canā€™t make it to the market?

You can still make a difference by:
šŸ’™ Visiting our website to learn more about our programs https://oconnellchildrensshelter.org/
šŸ’™ Making a donation to support local youth and families
šŸ’™ Sharing this post to help us reach someone who may need our servicesā€”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!

šŸ’™ A friendly reminder from your friends at O'Connell Children's Shelter!Voting for Best of Lawrence is still open, and y...
06/03/2026

šŸ’™ A friendly reminder from your friends at O'Connell Children's Shelter!

Voting for Best of Lawrence is still open, and you can vote EVERY DAY through June 7.

We're honored to be nominated for:

ā­ Best Nonprofit Event ā€“ Festival of Trees
ā­ Best Nonprofit ā€“ Children & Youth Services
ā­ Best Nonprofit ā€“ Family Services
ā­ Best Place to Work (25ā€“100 Employees)

Each vote helps shine a light on the importance of supporting youth, families, foster care, prevention services, and community connections in Douglas County.

If you haven't voted today, we'd be grateful for your support!

Thank you for believing in our mission and helping us make a difference every day.

What a beautiful place to grow. šŸŒ¾Nestled among wide-open skies and rolling fields, our ranch is more than just a setting...
06/03/2026

What a beautiful place to grow. šŸŒ¾

Nestled among wide-open skies and rolling fields, our ranch is more than just a settingā€”itā€™s a place where youth find safety, connection, and the space to imagine whatā€™s possible.

Weā€™re grateful for moments like these that remind us why our work matters and why hope continues to grow here every day.

šŸ“ø Photo credit: Brooke

Did you know? Gardening helps youth build patience, responsibility, problem-solving skills, and confidenceā€”all while get...
05/30/2026

Did you know? Gardening helps youth build patience, responsibility, problem-solving skills, and confidenceā€”all while getting their hands a little dirty. šŸŒ±

Thatā€™s why weā€™re especially excited to showcase fresh vegetables from Oā€™Connellā€™s youth-run garden at the Farmers Market today!

05/30/2026

Rain or shine, you know Oā€™Connellā€”we show up for our youth and families ā˜”šŸ’š

Stop by to learn about becoming a foster parent, mentor, or volunteer. Weā€™re actively signing people up for upcoming information sessions and would love to answer your questions about how you can make a difference for local youth and families.

A little rain wonā€™t stop us from growing a stronger community. šŸŒ±

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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