THE MISSISSIPPI CHILDREN’S HOME SERVICES

HISTORICAL SUMMARY

1910 The Mississippi Baptist Orphan’s Home proposes to the National Children’s Home Society for a children’s home society to be established in Mississippi.

1912 J. L. Green became the first superintendent of the Children’s Home Society located in Meridian.

1913 The Society moved to Jackson and was incorporated under the name Mississippi Children's Home Society (the Society).

1916 The Kate McWillie Powers Receiving Home was constructed across the street from Millsaps College and was given to the Society by her widower Dr. Richard V. Powers.

1926 Thomas Gale deeded 240 acres of land adjoining the City of Jackson to the Society.
William Alfred Dockery gave the Dockery Baby Cottage to the Society in memory of his son.

1942 The Society's charter was amended to include services to unwed mothers.

1957 Crestview Maternity Home was established in a renovated residence.

1959 The Society received funding from the United Givers Fund of Jackson, Inc.

1962 A new Crestview Maternity Home was built on Methodist Farm Road.

1963 The Crestview property was conveyed to the Society upon the dissolution of the home’s corporate structure.

1965 Crestview became a member of the National Florence Crittenton Association, and its name was changed to the Crestview-Crittenton Home.

1975 A new administration/services center facility was built on 1801 North West Street Campus.

1978 Christopher M. Cherney, national consultant and assistant to the executive director of the
Child Welfare League of America became the Society’s executive director.

1981 The Mother/Child Center for high risk mothers and babies was established.

1983 Crestview and Mother/Child Center combined to become Crestview-Crittenton Center for Mothers and Children.
The Kate McWillie Powers Group Home for Adolescent Girls was opened.
The Society was accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children.

1985 The Society received funding from the Mississippi Department of Mental Health for the ARK (Addicted - Rehabilitated Kids), a residential treatment center for chemically dependent youth.

1986 The merger between the Society and Family Service of Greater Jackson (MCHS/FSA) took place.

1987 The R.A.P. (Responsibility, Awareness, Prevention) Team program was established.
The ARK added an outpatient program for chemically dependent youth and their families.

1988 MCHS/FSA was honored with the “Best Managed Agency Award” from the United Way of the Capital Area.

1989 MCHS/FSA’s Gulf Coast Boys Home receives funding from Mississippi Departments of Mental Health and Human Services.
The Ark and Powers receive expansion grants from the Mississippi Department of Mental Health.

1990 A Consumer Credit Counseling Service was established.
A Certificate of Need (CARES Center, Inc.) is granted to MCHS/FSA to establish a 20 bed child/adolescent psychiatric residential treatment facility.

1991 The Warren County Children’s Shelter was established through a grant from the Warren County Board of Supervisors.

1992 CARES Center, Inc. opened and was accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
The Gulf Coast Boys Home became the Bacot Home for Youth.

1993 W. K. Kellogg Foundation gave us a $100,000 planning grant.
The Forrest County Children’s Shelter opened with a grant from Mississippi Department of Human Services.

1994 The Mississippi Families for Kids Initiative received a $2.86 million dollar W. K. Kellogg grant for a three year project to increase permanency for children in the child welfare system who are not returning to their birth families.
MCHS/FSA was reaccredited by the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children.
The 1900 North West Street office complex was purchased.

1995 Funding was secured for three regional Therapeutic Foster Care programs, in Tupelo, Meridian and Pascagoula, and for a Family Preservation and Support program in Warren County.

1996 The Signal Hill Group Home for Girls was established.
CARES Center received re-accreditation with commendation from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

1997 CARES Board of Directors merged with the MCHS/FSA Board of Directors.

1998 The Joseph Dixon Rowland Home for Boys opened in Grenada.
Our Board of Directors voted to change the agency’s name back to the original Mississippi Children’s Home Society (the Society)
The Society was reaccredited by The Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children.

1999 The Board of Directors launched the agency’s first capital funds campaign with a goal of $2.5 million, Building Foundations for Families, to build Youth Development Center and increase endowment.
CARES Center was reaccredited with commendation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

2000 Received a Kresge Foundation grant for $300,000 and anonymously received the agency's largest cash gift ever of $500,000.
The first capital campaign raised over $3 million in pledges and gifts. Groundbreaking for the Elsie Meadows Hood Youth Development Center was held. Purchased a Certificate of Need on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for a 30 bed psychiatric residential treatment facility.
Three new programs were established – pre and post employment services for TANF participants – therapeutic foster care and intensive in-home services on the Gulf Coast.

2001 Dedicated the Elsie Meadows Hood Youth Development Center on the 1801 North West Street Campus in Jackson.
Construction was completed on the South Mississippi Children’s Center’s boys wing. A Day school was added to the array of services on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

2002 Celebrated 90 years of service to children and families. CARES was re-accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. To strengthen the corporate organization structure, a management service corporation was established as the parent company of the Society and CARES. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi gave the proceeds from “Kid Zone” ($40,000) to the Society.

2003 We purchased an eighty-acre children’s campus and facilities on the Gulf Coast, relocated our Gulf Coast services to the eighty-acre campus, proceeded with the implementation of a comprehensive marketing communication plan with new marketing materials, developed a new logo, unified our corporate brand name (Mississippi Children’s Home Services) and a copyrighted service mark.

2004 We received the Large Agency “Award for Excellence” in nonprofit management, received permission from the Mississippi Department of Health to relocated 30-bed PRTF CON to Jackson, added two additional sites to our Therapeutic Foster Care/Intensive In-Home Services and began construction on Phase I of the 30-bed PRTF.

2005 Completed Phase I of the PRTF construction (14-bed Children’s unit, welcome center and chapel, remodeled kitchen). Winner of the Large Non-Profit Agency Award at the 2005 Salute to Business and Industry. Successfully organized a committed, active and vibrant Auxiliary, developed an architectural master site plan for 1801 North West Street’s Campus.

2006 For future program expansion, a generous donor gifted us with 21 acres located at the corner of North West Street and Woodrow Wilson. We were successfully re-accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. We implemented a system of therapeutic care that is trauma informed, client directed, relationally based and permanency directed.

2007 Developed community-based service system in Jackson, Hattiesburg, Gulfport, and Tupelo with satellite offices in Batesville, Greenville, Meridian and McComb. Awarded contracts, through competitive requests for proposals (RFP) to provide state-wide community-based services (i.e., Family Preservation and a Medicaid Community Alternative to Psychiatric Residential Treatment demonstration project – MYPAC). Obtained Mississippi Department of Health approval for our CARES Center to become a state immunization site. Began the silent phase of a $6,000,000 Capital Campaign towards our projected $8,000,000 construction project. Worked with architects (Canizaro, Cawthon, Davis), to develop a site plan and schematics for three 10-bed cottages and a 2-story arts and education school facility for 50 children on our North Campus.

2008 Established five school based MaxEd Programs on the Mississippi Gulf Coast through funding from a National American Red Cross Grant ,
relocated and expanded the Central Region offices in Jackson and expanded our offices in Gulfport, Hattiesburg, and Tupelo, successfully implemented our Mississippi Youth Programs Around the Clock (MYPAC) program in three regions, completed a $100,000 renovation/capital purchase project at our South Mississippi Children’s Center, dedicated our North Campus in honor of Jean Austin Bagley, secured an $8,000,000 building loan, awarded a construction contract for the three 10-bed cottages and the William Louis Albritton Arts and Education building and hosted a ground breaking ceremony on the Jean Austin Bagley Campus.