Youth Emergency Services & Shelter (YESS)

515-282-9377

OPEN NOW - Open 24 Hours

Youth Emergency Services & Shelter (YESS) meets the critical needs of the community by providing a continuum of quality programs designed to keep children safe and families together. YESS is a safety net of services designed to care for children and their families when they need it most. What began in 1973 as a teen runaway shelter has grown into a nationally-accredited organization serving 1,900 children per year. When a family turns to YESS for help, we provide a range of services to meet the physical, mental, and social health needs of children and create an environment where families can thrive. Among our network of services, YESS is home to Iowa's largest and most comprehensive emergency shelter as well as a variety of services that keep children safe in their own homes. The agency's unique combination of crisis stabilization, emergency shelter, mental health services, and care coordination does not exist elsewhere in Iowa - allowing YESS to uniquely serve the community's most vulnerable children. No matter the background or age of the child, YESS can provide supportive services to create hope for a brighter future. Every child comes to YESS with a story; these stories often involve loss, emotional or physical pain, change, uncertainty, or other difficult experiences. To ensure that we respect and are sensitive to each child's story, YESS utilizes a trauma-informed framework throughout our services and programs. Whether it is under our roof or out in the community, the caring team at YESS works in partnership with children, families, and other community resources to ensure children receive the best care possible. We put the needs of children and their families at the center of everything we do to ensure children receive the support they need, when they need it. Every day, nearly 1,000 children from across the state of Iowa rely on YESS for safety and care. We assist children and families experiencing some of life's biggest challenges, including family conflict, problems at school or in peer relationships, mental health challenges (depression, anxiety, sensory disorders, adjustment concerns, and more), physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, child neglect, substance abuse, poverty, homelessness, and family instability.