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The organization that is now known as Family Service began life as Associated Charities on January 6, 1910. Associated Charities was formed in order to reduce the duplication of relief efforts throughout Dane County. The original Board of Directors was comprised of representatives of several charitable organizations. The agency was initially funded through subscriptions of Board and associate members, and from other concerned members of the community. Associated Charities originally focused on the administration of relief to the poor, but soon expanded its program by initiating or recommending the establishment of needed health and welfare services.
By 1919 the organization's activities were of such a general nature that the agency's name was changed to the Public Welfare Association of Madison. Another major change occured in 1919, the agency moved to a home at 22 N. Hancock Street, which was donated by Mrs. Anna Vilas. Prior to the N. Hancock location, the agency was housed in the old City Hall (1910-1913) and the old police and fire stations (1913-1919).
During the 1920's the agency began to focus on casework service to individuals and families. Many of the agency's other activities were incorporated as separate agencies, transferred to other public or voluntary agencies, or discontinued. In 1925, "Kiddie Camp" was developed in cooperation with the Capital Times. "Kiddie Camp" was a preventative camp for children who had been exposed to tuberculosis. Kiddie Camp became a separate non-profit corporation in 1940.
The Great Depression created a greater financial burden than any voluntary agency could carry. In 1932 the Public Welfare Association of Madison transferred its relief load to the Dane County Relief Department. The emergence of governmental social service agencies made it necessary for another name change to avoid identification as a public relief agency. The name of the agency changed to Family Welfare Association of Madison.
On February 1, 1934 a trial merger between Family Welfare Association of Madison and Children's Service Association of Madison was effected. The merger was favored by the principal funding source of the two agencies since both had a child-placing program. One year later the name of the merged agencies became the Family Welfare and Children's Service Association.
1944 saw two new changes for the agency. The first change involved the opening of a child guidance clinic with a part-time psychiatrist funded by the State Board of Health. The opening of a child guidance clinic was necessary to provide greater psychiatric services. The second change involved providing of field-work experience to University of Wisconsin graduate students from the School of Social Work. Prior to the use of the graduate students, undergraduates had been provided field-work placements.
On October 8, 1945 the name of the was changed to its current name, Family Service. This change corresponded with a change at the national level. The new name was chosen as the best to convey the overall nature of the programs offered.
In 1949, Family Service began the Homemaker Service. This program was designed to allow children to remain in their own home during their mother's incapacity to care for them and to help postpone institutional care for the elderly and disabled. The program initially lasted for seven years. This program was restarted in February of 1966.
The 1950's saw Family Service change locations twice. The first move, which was in August of 1952, was to the Community Chest building at 14 W. Johnson St. Family Service sold the N. Hancock home and used the profit to pay for office furniture and remodeling. Family Service moved again in July 1959 with the United Community Chest to the new building at 2059 Atwood Avenue.
Several changes took place by the end of the 1970's. In 1968 a new fee system was established. The new system placed increased emphasis on self-generated income. Group counseling began in 1972 in order to respond to an increase in client hours of service--from 4,706 client hours in 1972 to 6,749 hours in 1973. Medical psychiatric services were incorporated into the programs of Family Service in 1976 when Dr. Robert Jackson affiliated with the agency. In 1977, Family Service merged with the Madison Consumer Credit Counseling Service Inc., expanding the capabilities of the agency to deal with client problems related to debt and other financial stresses. In January 1978, the agency moved into new quarters at 214 N. Hamilton Street. This move allowed the three previous service locations to be centralized into one office.
In 1981, Family Service was nationally accredited for the first time by the Council on Accreditation as an outpatient mental health facility. Later reviews reflected the accreditation of financial counseling, child and family counseling, and employee-assistance specialties. In 1988, Family Service moved to its current building at 128 E. Olin Avenue. A larger building was necessary to meet the expanded need for more community based services for families. The agency's services and size more than doubled between 1985 and 1989.
In June, 2000, On Belay Youth & Family Services merged with Family Service. This allowed Family Service to offer a day treatment program now called Adventures and the On Belay Team and Challenge program.
On April 1, 2004, The Centers For Prevention and Intervention merged with Family Service . This allowed Family Service to offer AODA prevention and education services through one of the CPI programs, Prevention & Intervention Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse (PICADA). This lead to the eventual creation of AODA treatment services at Family Service which is consistent with the State's movement into co-occuring treatment. This means we can offer mental health and AODA services to your consumers or one stop shopping.