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THE HOUSE THAT LOVE BUILT: Harty House ribbon cutting set for Friday
The date has been set. The time is solidified. And the doors are patiently awaiting to be opened.
For Renee Trout of the Stoddard County Children’s Home, the sustaining excitement is one of a palpable nature regarding the opening of the Harty House in Dexter.
“It is a residential foster-care facility,” said Trout. “It came about from the Norman B. Harty estate. He provided the funds and wanted a new home built in Dexter. It has been four or maybe five years since we were notified of that.”
Designed by Dille Pollard Architects and Smith & Boucher Engineers and built by Brown Construction Company, the proposed Harty House facility will feature 9,000 square feet of living space, 10 bedrooms, a storm shelter and storage, and a studio apartment for house parents, according to the official documents.
This state-licensed facility will provide safety, security and technology upgrades that the current 120-year-old residence cannot sustain.
The Harty House will provide larger spaces for cooking and food storage, and separate intake areas for children and the many donations the group receives, documents state. This new facility will allow the organization to serve the children in Stoddard County for another 50 years and beyond.
“We worked with the board of trustees … (for) the plans and layout,” said Trout. “We started construction in August 2022. The Children’s Home mission is to provide a safe haven for abused and neglected children in Stoddard County. We meet the physical, nutritional, educational and emotional needs of kids in our care.”
The facility will be able to house and serve up to 10 kids at one time, which is permitted by licensing.
“Children from birth to 18 years of age who are placed in the foster-care system; we are (an) emergency placement — meaning we are supposed to have them for 30 days or fewer,” said Trout.
An official ribbon cutting is scheduled for noon Friday. The open is house is from 2-4 p.m. Sunday.
“The open house is just a chance for us to thank those community supporters,” said Trout. “Before we actually move in, we wanted a chance for the public to tour the facility, to see what their support has done, and the beautiful home they built for these children.”
The community has been vital — from conception to completion.
Said Trout: “This is a county-wide agency, and when we did the fundraising, we got support from every community. We would not exist without that.”
A stipend from the state government is distributed as part of the income, much in the same way it would be to a foster parent, added Trout.
“It is pretty much just that. It is a stipend,” said Trout. “But it barely allows us to have staff. We have two staff on duty around-the-clock. That is our licensing requirement — no matter if we have one child or have 10.”
Direct mail fundraising was orchestrated to generate additional funding for the Harty House.
“Direct mail pieces we sent out (with) information about this, but we have had financial support from every corner of Stoddard County … and beyond. People who have connections here, who have moved to other places have supported us,” said Trout. “The schools have gotten involved and school clubs did fundraisers. It has really been a community-wide effort to get this house built and up and running.”
The official motto is ‘The House that Love Built.’
And that love continues to respond with an unparalleled embrace.