By 1985, Childs was known to the locals as a jobless drug addict who showed possible signs of mental illness. He shared this trait with several of his brothers who themselves were also petty criminals, and one would later be killed in prison after another inmate hit him with a barbell on the head during a fight. In subsequent years, he dropped out of school and would frequently spend time in jail for a variety of crimes, but was often given light sentences. During his teenage years, Childs began to use a variety of drugs and alcoholic beverages, and by early 1970, had his first arrest for robbery. He grew up in Aptos, where his father, Gary, worked as a bail bondsman. Terry Childs was born on September 22, 1955, in Santa Clara County, California, into a family with six other children.
