Charles Loring Brace: The Children's Aid Society

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The historical event that transformed the social services and the social reforms we have in place today for children, all started with what is known as the orphan trains. The trains carried thousands of homeless and abandoned children to brighter futures and away from the forgotten slums of New York City. This unusual and very controversial social experiment sparked the concept of foster care in the United States then and still impacts today’s children. The transformation all started when a man raised by a Presbyterian Minister came to New York’s east coast in 1849, his name Charles Loring Brace. In hopes of converting as many people to Christianity, Brace couldn’t ignore the thousands of vagrant children on the dangerous and filthy streets, the cause a rise in immigrants arriving there. With good intentions in his heart, Mr. Brace along with eight other men joined the organization that is still running today, The Children’s Aid Society (CAS). This organization raised a substantial amount of funds from the public and high members of society like the Roosevelt, and Astor families. With the funds the CAS …show more content…

Now for more than 160 years of successful help to those in need, the visions are ever growing to fit the needs of families and the community around them. The support for stronger families means help to get them there, supplying legal advice for some, full health services, and special events and programs so everyone will grow together. The start of early childhood programs to working mothers, mothers going to school, and just needing help spread nationwide. All of this came from a controversial social experiment from a handful of