Contact Information for the Press
Media and Press Contact
Mr. Patrick Blanchard
Director, Public Relations and Development
Louisiana United Methodist Children and Family Services
904 DeVille Lane, Ruston, LA 71270
Phone: (318) 242-4622 Fax: (318) 255-6623
Send an email to patrick.blanchard@LMCH.org
Questions? Use our online contact form to submit your question.
2017 Press Releases
Methodist Foster Care Continues Growth Across Louisiana
June 7, 2017 Ruston, Louisiana – Methodist Foster Care, a ministry of Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home, continues expanding therapeutic foster care services throughout Louisiana. Following a recent radio campaign covering north Louisiana and blanketing the Baton Rouge and surrounding market, Methodist Foster Care is busy developing new homes for Louisiana’s foster children.
Rick Wheat, President and CEO of Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home, is pleased with the growth to date but reports, “Louisiana’s children need more therapeutic foster homes. We still have much work to do to recruit, train, certify and maintain the number of therapeutic foster homes Louisiana’s children require. I will feel more comfortable after we are able to meet the needs of all who need this service. We need the help of families across Louisiana who are willing to help care for these children.”
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2015 Press Releases
Southeast Louisiana Receives Christmas Gift from United Methodists
December 18, 2015 December 18, 2015, Louisiana – Mr. Robert Temple, Chair of the Board of Directors of Louisiana United Methodist Children and Family Services signed papers today to acquire 125 acres of land on Highway 445 north of Robert, LA. Temple stated, “I am excited! This land will be the permanent home of Methodist Children’s Home of Greater New Orleans which will fulfill the needs of children and families far into the future.”
Rick Wheat, President and CEO, said, “We can now take the best of all we’ve done elsewhere in Louisiana and put it on this new property in the Greater New Orleans region. We are excited to end our extensive search for property and I cannot imagine a more appropriate time of year than the Christmas season to do this. We are eager to begin developing the property and constructing facilities to serve the children, families and communities of southeast Louisiana for the next 100 years.”
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Methodist Foster Care Being Developed by Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home
October 23, 2015 With a goal of developing across Louisiana the type of Therapeutic Foster Care system which Methodist Children’s Home of Greater New Orleans maintained in southeast Louisiana prior to Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home is, as one staff member said, “bringing Lazarus forth”.
During coming months, Louisiana United Methodist Children and Family Services will be updating the policies, procedures and forms of the former program and bringing them to life under a new Child Placing License the organization is seeking from the Department of Children and Family Services.
Methodist Foster Care’s website is at www.MethodistFosterCare.org, a domain the organization has held for years. As the Methodist Foster Care program is developed, information will be published there.
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Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home Achieves Second National Reaccreditation
March 17, 2015 The Council on Accreditation (COA) has announced the reaccreditation of Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home. This announcement follows the organization’s recent reaccreditation by the EAGLE Commission, a separate, faith-based accrediting body. Rick Wheat, CEO of Louisiana United Methodist Children and Family Services, shared, “These two back-to-back reaccreditations provide external affirmation of our ministry’s commitment to maintain very high performance standards to ensure the children and families for whom we care receive the highest quality services.”
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Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home Achieves EAGLE Reaccreditation for All Services in the State
February 12, 2015 Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home has received reaccreditation by the United Methodist Association’s EAGLE Accreditation Commission. This four year award was granted following an extensive self-study and site visits by reviewers from across the nation. The EAGLE Commission, after reviewing the self-study and the site visit findings, awarded re-accreditation.
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2014 Press Releases
Plaque Dedication Ceremony Held at Methodist Children’s Home of Southwest Louisiana
November 14, 2014 Methodist Children’s Home of Southwest Louisiana, located in Sulphur, held a Plaque Dedication Ceremony Thursday, November 13. The ceremony was an opportunity for the organization’s staff and administration to honor the many donors who helped make the Home a reality.
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Sulphur Children’s Home Makes Positive Impact with Clean Financial Audit
October 20, 2014 – Opened in 2011, Methodist Children’s Home of Southwest Louisiana is the most modern children’s home in our state. The local children’s home is a ministry of Louisiana United Methodist Children and Family Services. The Home in Sulphur is one of three United Methodist children’s homes in Louisiana and is part of the larger statewide array of services for children, families and communities provided by the Louisiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
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Methodist Children’s Home Makes Positive Impact with Clean Financial Audit
October 17, 2014 – In 1904, at the invitation of Ruston’s citizens, the former Louisiana Methodist Orphanage moved from a white frame house in Bunkie, Louisiana, to its permanent home in Ruston. With that move, Ruston became the corporate home for a growing ministry which now provides an array of services to children, families, and communities across Louisiana.
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34th Annual Golf Classic Supports Methodist Children’s Home
October 7, 2014, Mandeville, LA – The 34th Annual Golf Classic, benefiting Methodist Children’s Home of Greater New Orleans, was held at Beau Chene Country Club in Mandeville on Monday, October 6, 2014. With 172 golfers playing on both the Oak and Magnolia courses, the tournament was a remarkable success.
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- 34th Annual Methodist Children’s Home Golf Classic is Success – 10/08/2014
- Child Well-Being: Louisiana Among Worst in Nation for 25 Years – 07/31/2014
- 47 Complete Staff Leadership Classes at Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home – 06/25/2014
- Child Advocacy Papers Released During Louisiana Governor’s Race – 06/03/2014
2013 Press Releases
- WildHorse Arena Dedicated at OWL Center – 12/18/2013
- Grand Isle “Fishing for a New Home” Rodeo – 11/10/2013
- Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home and Trinity UMC Really Rock – 10/24/2013
- Methodist Children’s Home of Greater New Orleans Receives New License – 10/14/2013
- Methodist Children’s Home of Greater New Orleans Hosts Volunteer Brunch – 09/26/2013
- Methodist Children’s Homes Celebrate “Thank a Youth Worker” Day – 05/02/2013
- Howard School Designated “Top Gains” by Louisiana Department of Education – 01/01/2013
2012 Press Releases
- Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home Receives New License – 12/11/2012
- Job Opportunities at Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home – 10/10/2012
- Methodist Children’s Home First in Louisiana to Achieve New License – 10/05/2012
- New MST Program Keeps Families Together in Lake Charles Region – 9/20/2012
Contact Information
Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home and Corporate Offices
Contact Mr. Rick Wheat
President and CEO
rick.wheat@LMCH.org
Post Office Box 929
Ruston, LA 71273, USA
Phone: (318) 255-5020
FAX: (318) 255-6623
Methodist Children’s Home of Greater New Orleans
Contact Mrs. Marlin Giacona
Program Director
marlin.giacona@LMCH.org
23515 Highway 190
Mandeville, LA 70448, USA
Phone: (985) 626-6649
FAX: (985) 626-6446
Methodist Children’s Home of Southwest Louisiana
Contact Dr. Steven Franks
Program Director
steven.franks@LMCH.org
3029 North Beglis Parkway
Sulphur, LA 70663, USA
Phone: (337) 527-5056
FAX: (337) 527-5367
Outdoor Wilderness Learning Center
Contact Cindy Croft
Director of the OWL Center
cindy.croft@LMCH.org
1523 Hwy 563
Dubach, LA 71235
Phone: (318) 777-3460
FAX: (318) 777-9377
