Frequently Asked Questions

Children At Heart Ministries is a family of ministries that is dedicated to transforming the lives of all children and families. Our family of ministries includes Gracewood, Miracle Farm Boys Ranch, and Texas Baptist Children’s Home.

The Children At Heart Foundation serves the Children At Heart family of ministries by managing endowment resources and making grants to assist with operating costs and capital needs.

Children At Heart depends on the generosity of its donors for daily operating costs, capital expansion, and other special needs. Donations include proceeds from annual giving campaigns, grants designated for specific purposes, and estate gifts.

Gracewood, Miracle Farm Boys Ranch, and Texas Baptist Children’s Home each have Presidents who are responsible for day-to-day operations and trustees who help establish policy, provide oversight, and offer an external perspective. The President and CEO of Children At Heart Ministries serves as the vice chair for each of the ministries’ boards.

The President and CEO of Children At Heart Ministries reports to the Children At Heart Ministries Board of Trustees. The board membership is appointed annually by the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

The Children At Heart Foundation is led by an independent Board of Trustees.

Each of the individual ministries, including Children At Heart Ministries and the Children At Heart Foundation, are members of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. ECFA standards include a commitment to Christian faith, annual financial audits, transparency in financial operations, truthfulness in fundraising and communications, and respect for donor intent and donor expectations. Each ministry is also registered with GuideStar and files the IRS Form 990 annually, copies of which are available upon request.

Our Mission Advancement staff has expertise in charitable estate planning and can help you and connect you to other valuable resources to assist in developing a plan that best meets the needs of your family and benefits the charities you love. Contact Maynard Phillips to learn more. As you would with any financial decision, you should also consult with your family and other personal financial advisers.

No. Under state law (DFPS Minimum Standards for General Residential Operations 748.731) “a person that is not being compensated may not provide services to an operation, if that person is on probation or parole, or is referred for community services through the courts because of criminal activity, including as an alternative to incarceration. This probation applies even if the services do not involve contact with children in care.”

Some volunteer activities will be identified as “family friendly” and children are welcome. Other activities may not be appropriate for children under the age of 16. When in doubt, please check with our volunteer coordinator. We do not provide child care for volunteers.

Under state law, a full background check is required before a volunteer can have contact with children. Even if a background check is completed, there often are privacy and confidentiality issues that we must keep in mind.

There is no age limit, although we ask that teenagers be accompanied by an adult at all times.

No. We welcome volunteers who can coordinate drives aimed at fulfilling other needs as well. These can be conducted by individuals, church groups, businesses, or organizations. To find out more about these needs, please contact the ministry’s Volunteer Coordinator.