Inspiring change, inspiring love, inspiring GOOD for 120 years

1902

Before the invention of the Model T. Ford, bubble gum or the Band-Aid, Children’s Home Society of Florida was founded to provide loving homes for children, and to strengthen families going through tough times.

1910

CHS Superintendent Marcus “Daddy” Fagg was an active contributor to the writing, editing and passage of several child welfare laws including the Child Labor Law, the Compulsory Education Law and the Wife Desertion Law.

1913

The same year Rosa Parks was born, Children’s Home Society of Florida was key in passing Florida’s first Child Labor Law, protecting kids from being deprived of education and recreation, offering a real chance for them to realize their full potential.

1919

$1 could buy four quarts of baby formula and Children’s Home Society of Florida cared for 1,128 children in a single year.

1925

The mechanical television was invented and Children’s Home Society of Florida had three locations – Jacksonville, Pensacola and Miami.

1930s

A loaf of bread cost 9¢ and Children’s Home Society of Florida first went into schools, helping to secure medical and dental exams, as well as hearing and vision tests for children. We continue this work today through the Community Partnership Schools™ model.

1947

Jackie Robinson took to the field for the first time and Children’s Home Society of Florida celebrated 45 years of service, helping a total of 53,000 children and families since opening our doors. Today, we serve more than 50,000 children and families annually.

1956

The Price is Right aired on American television and Children’s Home Society of Florida placed more children for adoption, creating more than 1,000 loving forever homes, more than in any previous year.

1960s

As the Civil Rights movement grew in the 1960s, Children’s Home Society of Florida made a commitment to provide the African-American community and African-American children with the same scope of services given to white children at the time. We stood firm in our values to stand on the right side of history.

1971

By the time Walt Disney World opened in 1971, Children’s

Home Society of Florida was providing a variety of services – including counseling and early childhood, services for developmentally delayed and disabled children and parent education courses — in all 67 Florida counties.

1989

At the height of the Sony Walkman’s popularity – the average cost was $79 in stores  — Children’s Home Society of Florida volunteers numbered more than 2,300 – a record for CHS!

1990

Home Alone, Ghost and Dances with Wolves all hit the silver screen … and the Children’s Home Society of Florida Foundation was created to secure the future for the organization and for generations of children to come.

2000

In the Y2K Year, CHS’ corporate office relocated from Jacksonville to Winter Park, Florida to provide a more central location to (at the time) all 14 regions throughout the state.

2012

Children’s Home Society of Florida, in partnership with Orange County Public Schools and the University of Central Florida, brought the innovative Community Partnership School model to Florida at Evans High School. That same year, Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts eight weeks in a row. Today, CHS is a core partner in 27 Community Partnership Schools and growing – more than any other entity in the state! And we’re still trying to get that Gotye song out of our heads.

2022

Children’s Home Society of Florida celebrates 120 years of devoted service to children and families across the sunshine state.

Recognized as a national leader in child well-being and trauma-informed care, CHS continues to lead the way in identifying and addressing key issues facing Florida’s children and families. While remaining true to our roots in child welfare, CHS has evolved to also deliver early childhood programs, in-home solutions that stabilize and strengthen families, mental health counseling, mentoring, outreach and job training, and most recently, the innovative Community Partnership Schools model that’s transforming outcomes in schools from the panhandle to Miami.

Throughout our storied history, Children’s Home Society of Florida has united communities to care for our most vulnerable children and families – a legacy of inspiring good.

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