Join in on the fun as we kick off the Burke Center for Youth 5th Annual Bike & Hot Rod Rally! This is your chance to give back to those children who are so deserving of your support by participating in the Rally and/or attending the weekend events which are sure to have you coming back year after year!

History of Burke Center for Youth 

In 1973, Rosemary Burke had a dream. She knew that she had a knack for helping children that were hard to reach. She had worked with many children who were "wards of the state". She had also spent 15 years working with her own son, who no one seemed to understand, who had something we now call "autism". She found Charles Campise who met qualifications as an administrator, and together they opened a residential treatment center for 15 boys. They noticed that boys responded well to farm life. They had horses, cows, pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, dogs, and cats. They then grew to have three locations in the Dripping Springs area serving 35 boys. 

In 1990, there were people in the community who asked if they could help the boys. The Burke Center then obtained a license to operate a Child Placing Agency so that they could locate, train, and license people to become foster parents. Many boys graduated from the treatment center into good foster homes.

In the mid 1990's, a psychologist introduced the idea of "Therapeutic Camping" as a treatment model for abused and neglected children. The Burke Center then obtained a license to operate a Therapeutic Camp and called it "Pathfinders". After seeing how effective the "therapeutic camping" model was, they decided to increase the capacity of the therapeutic camp and to focus on that model exclusively and discontinue the residential treatment center. 

In 2007 Burke Center for Youth has come full circle. Due to the political climate in Texas, we have changed our license back to a Residential Treatment Center model; however, we continue to maintain our philosophy that boys respond well to being outdoors. We continue to have a treatment program that keeps the children outside engaging in life, learning how to accomplish goals, and how to have healthy relationships.

We continue to grow our foster care program and now have five offices throughout the state, training foster parents and facilitating the care of children who have no permanent home. 

Burke Center for Youth is a nonprofit organization formed in 1973 to care for Texas children who are removed from their home environments due to abuse, neglect, or problems with the law. We are providing help and hope to children in crisis through our services. These are the children that belong to no one, and yet, they belong to us all. Help us to help these children in order that they may eventually belong in a family.

We invite you to learn more about us and the youth we serve by visiting our website here.