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For over a century, the numbers support CHS’s commitment to children. Over 14,000 children have been placed by CHS in permanent, safe, and loving homes.

From the first children who were rescued from the streets of Greensboro in 1902 to the children and families served today, CHS has, with great care and compassion, sought to provide all children with an environment of stability, security, and love. For the next 100 years, CHS will remain committed to its mission “to promote the right of every child to a permanent, safe, and loving home.”

History

CHS was founded In 1902 by a group of visionary and compassionate businessmen, the Young Businessmen’s Club of Greensboro (today the Chamber of Commerce) who were moved to address the issue of homeless children. The founders, whose names are still known today - Gold, Osborne, McIver, Duke, Lindley, Broughton, Hanes, Richardson, Douglas, Cone, Daniels, Battle and others - provided the stability and integrity that has guided the Society over the last century.

Most of the children placed with families in the early years of CHS were older, between the ages of 4 and 12. Because CHS did not have a receiving home for children, they were often cared for in the homes of board members until a suitable family could be found. The pattern of placing older children continued through the 1920s.

With the advent of safe baby formula and the post World War II baby boom, CHS began placing more infants for adoption.  From 1930 through the 1970s, the primary goal of CHS was to find homes for newborns. During these years, CHS began serving the entire state with offices emerging in seven cities.

By the early 1980s, society as a whole was undergoing significant changes that profoundly affected the structure of the family. Drug use increased.  Extraordinary medical procedures extended fragile lives.  More children were born with medical and developmental difficulties.  Greater community resources were available to help individuals parent children with challenging needs and single parenting became a viable alternative for many; therefore, fewer newborn babies were available for couples that wanted to adopt.

During this time, the entire Child Welfare System became more aware of the
dramatic amount of time children were spending in out-of-home placement – foster care and group child-care institutions. As a result, there was more of an emphasis to develop programs of family foster care and to shorten the amount of time a child would have without a permanent home. Today, there continue to be fewer newborns available for adoption and growing numbers of older children needing families.

Finding the best home for a child has always been a challenging mission. Today, CHS provides a myriad of services beginning with counseling for birth mothers who are considering adoption and continuing as a resource for families long after their adoptions are final. To better serve the varied population, CHS has developed well-defined areas of service staffed by compassionate and well-trained professionals. Our programs include Birth Parent Services, Foster Care, Adoption, and Therapeutic/Post Adoption Support.

Our work leads us to help find families for older children and infants. Both groups have diverse sets of needs – needs that will last a lifetime. Our programs are continually expanding and we closely examine their impact to ensure we are serving children and families with the best possible practices. We are working closely with families to prepare them to provide loving, safe homes.