Children & Families First - A Glimpse through the Decades

Children & Families First Through the Decades 1884 Friends Benevolent Society, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and The Provident Society form the Wilmington Associated Charities and serve nearly 1000 people.

1890’s Applications for assistance jump 30%.

1900’s Associated Charities begins providing Visiting Nurse services.

1910’s Representatives from Associated Charities and 4 other organizations create a federation, the Children’s Bureau of Delaware, which gets incorporated by the end of the decade.

1920’s Children’s Bureau merges with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Associated Charities expands outside of Wilmington to include New Castle County.

1930’s Associated Charities changes its name to Family Society.

The Children’s Bureau establishes medical services for children in foster care at the Bureau.

1940’s Family Society starts providing family counseling services.

Children’s Bureau opens a part-time office in Milford.

1950’s Family Society changes its name to Family Services of Northern Delaware.

Adoption becomes the Children’s Bureau’s primary service, and the Bureau spearheads the drafting and passage of adoption legislation.

1960’s Children’s Bureau builds a new office building at 2005 Baynard Boulevard.

1970’s Family Services builds a new building at 809 Washington Street.

Children’s Bureau forms ARC, A Resource Center for Youth (now Adolescent Resource Center).

1980’s Family Services of Northern Delaware changes its name to Family Service Delaware.

Childcare Connection begins a pilot child care resource and referral program.

Perinatal Association of Delaware forms due to Delaware’s increasing infant mortality rate.

1990’s Family Service Delaware and the Children’s Bureau merge and become Family and Children Services of Delaware, which then merges with Turnabout Counseling & Community Services to become a statewide provider. This brings Seaford House Residential Treatment under the agency umbrella. In 1997, the agency changes its name to Children & Families First (CFF).

Childcare Connection becomes Family Workplace Connection.

2000’s CFF begins offering the Strengthening Families Program.

Perinatal Association of Delaware becomes part of CFF. CFF opens an office in Dover.

CFF and Family Workplace Connection merge.

CFF implements the Nurse Family Partnership Program.

2010’s CFF receives a federal grant for the Eastside Community Schools project.

CFF begins implementation of the Healthy Families America model, and then FAIR, Family Assessment & Intervention Response.

Red Clay Schools become part of the Community Schools project.

Supporting Kidds becomes a subsidiary of CFF.

FUTURE: Communities where children are nurtured, healthy and safe; individuals are valued; and families are strong and self-sufficient.