The Family & Children's Center located at 2507 Weston Street in La Crosse is actually a result of a 1983 merger of two private agencies: the La Crosse Home for Children and the Family Service Association. Both groups have complex histories that illustrate the benevolent character of the La Crosse area community and the changing attitude of family counseling from the late nineteenth century to the present.
Today the Center continues to be a home for children with special care needs as well as an administrative and professional center for skilled personnel responsible for the specialized counseling needs of families and individuals. Many services are offered by the Center such as residential treatment for children, treatment foster care, counseling, parent-aide services, respite care, and intensive home-based services. Funding is derived mainly from local government, the United Way, personal insurance and special government contracts. The services rendered by the Family & Children's Center fulfill a variety of needs of the La Crosse community.
The more detailed history of the Center's predecessors, the Family Service Association and the La Crosse Home for Children, is described below.
Family Service Association
On March 28, 1881, a group of residents met to form a branch of the Wisconsin Humane Society, one of the first secular charitable organizations in La Crosse. The purpose of this group was to "prevent cruelty" to animals and human beings. Early participants included Rev. & Mrs. L. W. Brigham, Dr. & Mrs. Edgar Palmer, Charles Seymour, and many other important La Crosse citizens.
Agents were directed by the board to find and report cases of abuse. Oftentimes this humane officer would act on tips he received on particular individuals or families. The humane officer established local contacts with residents similar to a police officer's "beat." Recorded in the officers' logs were a good number of animal abuse cases, specifically dealing with horses. The humane officer often noted in his reports that family problems were due in large part to "drink." From 1904, the Humane Society cooperated in the work of Associated Charities, Inc., of La Crosse, an agency designed to promote cooperation among city charities. By 1908, the group's efforts included anti-tuberculosis and anti-rabies programs, distribution of aid and clothing for the destitute, and attempts to establish a "pest house" and earlier closing hours for local promote cooperation among city charities. By 19O8, the group's efforts included anti-tuberculosis and anti-rabies programs, distribution of aid and clothing for the destitute, and attempts to establish a "pest house" and earlier closing hours for local saloons. Funds were raised to sponsor a visiting nurse, and in 1911 the first trained and salaried executive secretary and social worker were hired. In the following year the Humane Society merged with Associated Charities of La Crosse. As a result, the services to befriend the indigent and homeless were strengthened.
In 1921 the organization became the Social Service Society. At that time the organization was deeply concerned with temperance and other social issues. The group began to focus on families and family welfare. Funding was derived from the city council, La Crosse Community Council, civic groups, and an annual Charity Ball. In 1922 the society helped to form the Community Chest, a forerunner of the local United Way. During the Depression, the Society's role changed from providing financial assistance to delivering social services agency filling gaps in social services that the government wasn't providing for.
The group changed its name to the Family Welfare Society of La Crosse in 1941 and began to concentrate on marital problems and parent-child problems. Some of the activities undertaken by the society included the housing and feeding of transients and local families, distribution of food and clothing, and the placement of children in foster homes. By 1960, the organization changed its name to the Family Welfare Association and more emphasis was placed on marital and family counseling. Other programs included relief for military personnel, Travelers' Aide, and funding a school nurse and probation officer. The agency became a local clearinghouse to which other community groups could turn for social service information.
In 1972 the name Family Service Association was adopted and the organization was affiliated nationally with the Family Service Association of America. Until the 1983 merger, the Association was responsible for the counseling of family, marital, parent-child, and emotional problems.
As early as 1961, the concept of merging the Family Service Association with the La Crosse Home for Children was in place. A citizen's study conducted under the auspices of the La Crosse Home for Children and the Community Chest and Welfare Federation of La Crosse, Inc. assessed "the role of the La Crosse Home for Children in relation to group care needs of La Crosse County children and youth." In this report it was suggested that "there is considerable merit in the idea of merging or in some way combining the programs" of both agencies. This was not to happen until 1983 when FSA joined forces with the La Crosse Home for Children to become the Family & Children's Center.
La Crosse Home for Children
An informal group of young women who had been sewing for the poor formed the Young Ladies Mission Band in 1883, becoming the first separately organized charity in La Crosse. Supported by the proceeds of private subscriptions and annual charity balls, the Mission Band initially set out to provide in some way for the care of dependent elderly women. This group was led by Miss Anna Bliss who was later to become Mrs. Ellis B. Usher. At the same time, another group of local women were discussing the possibility of organizing a group home for children in La Crosse. These two groups decided to unite in their cause and share their talents and interests.
In September 1888, the Board of Managers of the La Crosse Home for Friendless Women and Children was incorporated. The first Board was comprised of the following women: Mrs. L. F. Easton, President; Mrs. Gideon C. Hixon, Vice President; Mrs. Edgar Palmer, Secretary; Mrs. William Listman, Treasurer; Mrs. N. B. Allen, Mrs. Charles L. Colman, Mrs. Kenneth Hough, Mrs. Joseph W. Losey, Mrs. Gysbert Van Steenwyk, Mrs. R. A. Scott, and from the Mission Band Miss Anna Bliss, Miss Inga Fleischer, Miss Minna Platz, Miss Fannie Sill, and Mrs. C. L. Lein.
For a monthly rental fee of $22, a house at 717 Badger Street was secured in July 1888, and the Mission Band was able to furnish the house almost completely with donations. Four elderly women were the first occupants, and the first child was admitted November 1888. The goals of the Home were to provide shelter for homeless, dependent women and children. The children were not orphans; their parents were simply unable to take care for them for a variety of reasons: death, divorce and desertion were some of the more common causes.
In the early years, the Home strove to act as a nursing home, a children's home, a day care center, and lodging house for transients among other things. Inexperience and ill prepared "matrons" or residential directors came and went frequently. It was not until 1923 when a woman with some child welfare training arrived. After her departure in 1929, Miss Josephine Fletcher began a long tenure with the Home and can be considered the first professional residential director. She retired from the Home in 1953.
By 1890 the ambitious work of the Home had brought a great amount of success which in turn resulted in cramped quarters for the occupants. The Board at this point decided to purchase the B. E. Edwards home at Eleventh and Ferry Streets (609 South Eleventh Street) for $7000 in April 1891. The house was built for lumberman Robert Ross although not completed until sometime later by B. E. Edwards. Some alterations were made to the back of the house in 1900, and in 1912 five small bedrooms and a bathroom were added in a south wing. This house remained as the Home's residence until a new facility was built and opened in 1963.
Over time, financial assistance became available to elderly women and the Home decided to accept only children as residents. In June 1937 the word "Friendless" was officially dropped from the title of the Home, and the name became La Crosse Home for Children shortly afterwards. In 1938 the Home was licensed by the State of Wisconsin to care for 25 children, ranging in age from three to 16 years of age. It was under the "supervisory control" of the Department of Social Adjustment, Division of Child Welfare. By 1943-44 there were 29 children living in the Home and children were referred to the residence by the county's welfare office.
Bequests to the Home helped to build up an endowment fund which enabled the Home to build a new facility on Weston Street. In 1949 the Community Chest was reorganized and the Home joined in its annual fund drive. Some fund raising events continued, such as the lawn party, so that monies could be raised for special projects, and the community could see and visit the Home. In 1958 Mrs. Henry Gund, a woman active on the Board, died and left her Cass Street residence to the La Crosse Home for Children, its sale adding considerably to the building fund of the Home.
The new La Crosse Home for Children facility on Weston Street broke ground in December 1962 and the children moved in October 1963. The property at Weston Street and Losey Boulevard was purchased from Arthur Holst at a reduced price. The new facility was paid entirely through private donations. The building was constructed of Wisconsin limestone and included 16,500 square feet of space. A wing added on in 1976 gave the facility an additional 3376 square feet of lounge and office space for $126,000.
By 1963, the average occupancy of the Home was between 17 and 20 children, girls from 6 to 14 years of age, and boys up to 18 years of age. Each child was supervised by a case worker from the agency that placed him/her in the Home. The La Crosse Home for Children continued to furnish temporary or long term care for children who were not deeply disturbed.
During the five years following the construction of the new residence, attitudes regarding the concept of child welfare nationally were changing. These changing attitudes determined the future purpose and clientele of the Home. Foster homes began to replace residential centers such as the La Crosse Home for Children. As this occurred, a need developed for a facility to treat behaviorally and emotionally disturbed children in a residential environment.
In the fall of 1968 Anita Lenz was hired as administrator and director of social services at the Home. Under her direction, a treatment program was developed for emotionally disturbed children with an increasing emphasis placed on therapeutic intervention and support services for the children and their families. The maximum number of residents was now 23 and included girls between the ages of 5 to 8 and boys 10 to 14.
Robert O'Connell became Executive Director of the Home in 1977. By this time the treatment programs were well established but usually required several years of residential care. Through more specialized therapy and increased family involvement, a shortened stay in treatment was achieved. The first group home was founded in 1979 and the second in 1981 as a result of an increased demand for alternatives to residential treatment. The treatment program and environment was less intensive and restrictive than the residential program. Other services were added to lend support to families in their own homes and to allow children with behavior problems the opportunity to live with foster parents while undergoing in-house treatment.
In 1983 the La Crosse Home for Children and the Family Service Association merged to form the Family & Children's Center. Services offered in range from residential treatment, counseling services, treatment foster care, intensive home-based services, respite care, and parent-aide services. The mission today is to provide "a continuum of residential and outpatient counseling services to troubled children, families and individuals." According to the 1988 annual report, 68 children lived in residential treatment; 41 children received treatment foster care; 103 families benefited from intensive home-based services; 229 families made use of the respite care service; and 947 children and adults visited therapists and support groups. Over the previous five years, facility-based services increased 30% while home-based services had grown at an average rate of 160%.
Although the specific goals of the Family & Children's Center are different than those of the original La Crosse Home for Friendless Women & Children, the staff and board of directors are dedicated to the welfare of the La Crosse area children and families, and the greater La Crosse community.
On October 1, 1994, a merger took place between the Family and Children's Center and Douglas Mental Health Services in Viroqua, Wisconsin. The latter was renamed the Douglas Center, a Division of Family and Children's Center. The merger enabled the Douglas Center to spend more time working with clients.
References
Van Steenwyk, Gysbert. "The Humane Society and its Successors," in La Crosse County Historical Society Sketches, series seven (La Crosse, La Crosse County Historical Society), 1945, pp. 83-90.