McALLEN — The Children’s Bereavement Center-Rio Grande Valley has extended its reach from where it started in Cameron County to a new location in Hidalgo County.
The center, which provides counseling to children ages 3 to 24 who have suffered loss, held an open house this week, allowing the public a look into its second location at the First Presbyterian Church in downtown McAllen.
Before growing into Hidalgo County, the center in Harlingen was a satellite center of the San Antonio-based Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas.
The Harlingen office opened in 2016 but in April 2022, they became their own 501(3) and split from San Antonio, though they continue to partner with them, according to Executive Director Ernest Espinoza.
“They’re like the best parents,” Espinoza said of the San Antonio organization.
Espinoza said they first waded into Hidalgo County last year through a partnership with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
It was a small operation in Edinburg with two rooms — two clinical rooms and two offices — and they were swamped.
“They heard about us in Harlingen, how wonderful we were, and all our clients that went to Harlingen now started going here,” Espinoza said. “It was just too many people so we didn’t have enough space.”
With the help of the city of McAllen, they were connected with First Presbyterian Church who was looking for an organization that works with children to be their new tenant.
The city of McAllen gave them $44,000 which helped with half of the cost to move into the church and they were able to fundraise the rest which will also help pay their counselors. They currently have two counselors, both bilingual, in McAllen and expect to hire another.
Employing just one counselor costs them $75,000 per year, he said.
At their center, Espinoza said they take a holistic approach in their therapy, using play, art, music, and drama.
