About The Caring Place

Our Mission: The Caring Place, Inc. provides inclusive service, shelter, and ongoing support for people experiencing domestic violence. Through advocacy, education, and awareness, we empower people to build supportive, respectful, compassionate relationships.

Our Vision: The Caring Place, Inc. envisions a community free from domestic violence, in which all people engage in healthy relationships, supported by a society committed to nurturing respect and non-violence.

Our Motto: Breaking the Silence that Hides the Violence.

The agency has successfully completed Peer Review that is required every three years for domestic violence programs to receive funds from the State of Indiana through its Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA).

In the mid 1970s, a group of concerned citizens in Hobart, Indiana formed a task force to study the needs of domestic violence victims in the area. Based upon their findings, a group of volunteers began raising funds to open a shelter for abused women and their children. The Caring Place was incorporated in 1978 as a volunteer-operated organization and began serving victims in April 1979 at the former convent of St. Bridget's Church in Hobart.

In October 1986, The Caring Place acquired a large farmhouse outside Wheeler and began providing advocacy services to both resident and non-resident victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. In the summer of 1990, the shelter moved to its present Valparaiso site with a 24-bed capacity.

In 2002, a larger facility was purchased to serve as an administrative and community advocacy office. The Community Advocacy Center houses administrative staff, a library, conference room, children's playroom, reception area, kitchen, and large donation storage area.

On October 15, 2018, The Caring Place broke ground on a new domestic violence shelter in Porter County. The new Caring Place Center for Change — our shelter and advocacy center — opened on October 18, 2019, shortly before the Covid-19 global pandemic, and remained open through the ongoing challenges.

The Caring Place offers a range of services to support survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. These include:

• 24-Hour Emergency Shelter — Safe housing for survivors and their dependents
• 24-Hour Crisis Line — Immediate support available any time of day or night
• Community Education — Programs to raise awareness about domestic violence
• Support Groups — Regular group sessions for survivors
• Legal Counseling — Guidance navigating the legal system
• Case Management — Individualized planning and support
• Independent Living Planning — Helping survivors build a path forward

All shelter services are provided without charge, as mandated by the State of Indiana.