135 Years of Strengthening Families
Our Story
Since 1890, Families First has been providing empowering solutions for some of Georgia’s most vulnerable families. Through the decades, our agency has listened, transformed, and responded to meet Georgia’s changing needs.
Thirteen name changes and the merger of five influential nonprofit agencies laid the foundation for what is today Families First. Dedicated presidents, board members, staff, and volunteers shaped a lasting legacy rooted in care, innovation, and determination.
Building Hope and Opportunity for Girls
Founded on the Spelman College campus by Lucetta Lawson and Sarah Grant, the Leonard Street Orphans’ Home trained and cared for girls without family support. English missionary Amy Chadwick ensured its survival for decades, providing stability and educational opportunities to more than 600 children. The Home emphasized preparing girls for the workforce and maintaining family connections whenever possible.
Providing Refuge and Renewal for Unwed Mothers
Dr. Kate Waller Barrett founded the Florence Crittenton Home in Atlanta in 1892, joining a national movement led by Charles Crittenton to support vulnerable women. The Home provided shelter, medical care, and education to unmarried pregnant women and young mothers.
Although the Home faced early community opposition and legal challenges, Dr. Barrett’s leadership secured its reputation as a trusted refuge. Over the decades, the Home adapted to changing social needs and funding sources while continuing to serve women with compassion and dignity.
Coordinating Care and Community Response
After a devastating winter storm in 1905, attorney Joseph Logan brought together neighbors and local leaders to support Atlanta families in crisis, creating Associated Charities. The agency coordinated help for Atlantans struggling with poverty, illness, and unemployment, and it offered essentials like food, fuel, housing, and family counseling.
Associated Charities modeled progressive social work by consulting with Jane Addams and other national leaders, adapting relief practices to meet local needs during the Depression and beyond. The agency and its board-initiated Atlanta’s centralized fundraising that became the United Way and set high standards for public-private partnerships in family welfare.
Creating Safe Havens for Atlanta’s Children
In 1907, Laura Robinson attended a court hearing where a young mother was sentenced to jail. Moved by the mother’s concern for her child, Laura took the child into her own home—giving rise to the Atlanta Child’s Home.
With strong support from her husband, Frank Mason Robinson, who created the Coca-Cola logo, the Home grew from modest beginnings into a loving refuge. Over the decades, it served hundreds of children, providing housing, education, health services, and family-like encouragement.
Building Georgia’s Foundation for Child Welfare
During the Great Depression, civic leaders H.G. Voorhis and Rev. Robert W. Burns united efforts to create the Child Welfare Association. By merging the Leonard Street Orphans’ Home and the Atlanta Child’s Home, they laid the foundation for Georgia’s central force for child welfare.
In 1937, the Child Welfare Association became the first certified private adoption agency in Georgia, establishing professional standards and protocols for adoption at a time when formal systems were rare. The Association also expanded foster care, developed group homes, and launched family preservation programs to address a broad range of child welfare needs.
Creating a Home for Teen Girls
After overcoming zoning challenges and community opposition, the Child Welfare Association opened Georgia's first group home for girls near the Georgia Tech campus.
David and Joyce Kenniston served as the home’s houseparents for six years, forming deep bonds with the girls in their care. Beyond meeting daily needs, they provided love and stability that left a lifelong impact. Years later, former residents invited them to share in wedding ceremonies and serve as surrogate parents.
Teaching Parents to Support Children Through Divorce
Responding to the rising number of divorces and their impact on children, in 1989 Families First developed Children Cope with Divorce, an evidence-based curriculum for divorcing parents. Courts across Georgia—and later nationwide—adopted the program, which grew to serve more than 200 communities. This innovative program addresses the emotional and mental health needs of children during family transitions and teaches parents to prioritize their children’s well-being.
Empowering Young Mothers to Build Their Futures
In 1991, Families First launched the Family Development Center, later renamed Weaver Gardens in honor of Executive Director Bert Weaver. As the nation’s first transitional supportive housing for homeless mothers aged 17–26 with infants, the program combined safe housing with parenting education, job readiness, and life-skills training.
Weaver Gardens became a national model for breaking intergenerational poverty, helping young mothers achieve stability and independence for their families.
Honoring Our Roots and Expanding Our Reach
By 2014, Families First had outgrown its Midtown offices. That year, we launched the Family Matters Capital Campaign, raising $13.3 million to purchase and renovate the former E.R. Carter School on Atlanta’s Westside.
In 2016, Families First moved into its restored home near its original neighborhood. This return to the Westside symbolizes both a reconnection to our roots and an expanded ability to deliver counseling, case management, and parenting resources for families facing complex challenges.
Continuing the Legacy
Today, Families First strengthens family resilience across three impact areas:
- Parenting & Adoption Support Services (PASS)
- Navigator Services
- The Vance Center for Behavioral Health
135 Years of Impact & Innovation
Mission
Our mission is to build resilient families so all children can thrive.