Friends Association for Care & Protection of Children is one of the longest-running child welfare non-profit organizations in Pennsylvania and has its roots in Quaker tradition. Beginning in 1822, a group of abolitionist women in Philadelphia came together to provide a home for children who had lost their parents. Throughout the years, the organization has changed and evolved but has always focused on the protection of children and on recognizing the inherent value of each member of society. In 2010, Friends began to focus its mission entirely on ending family homelessness in Chester County. Friends provides programs and services that prevent homelessness and promote the independence of families with children. We are unique in that we focus on keeping families together during times of crisis while connecting them with strengths-based case management and community resources. We support all families experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness in Chester County structured as they are when we meet them, including single moms and dads, two-parent, multi-generational, grandparent, and LGBTQ+ families. The overarching goal of Friends’ programming is to make homelessness for families in our community rare, brief, and non-recurring by providing emergency housing for families who have lost their homes, and through prevention programs that keep families stably housed while providing essential wrap-around services. Friends Association offers support for families throughout Chester County through four pillars of service: Preventing homelessness, Providing emergency housing, Partnering with families to support their stability, and Promoting systemic change. We are committed to the vision of creating an equitable community, where every family is healthy, housed, resilient, and can realize their full potential. We believe that housing is a basic human right and that we have the resources, creativity, and drive to change systems and end homelessness for all.
