History of
Child & Family Service...
The 1800s—Helping Adults and Children in Distress
 In February 1877, a small group of civic-minded men and women chartered the Union Relief Association in Springfield, Massachusetts. The goal of the association was to help people in need to build better lives for themselves. “Friendly visitors” made home visits to poor people who had “fallen into distress” to help them find child care, jobs, health care, and other assistance.
Later the Union Relief Association formed the Children’s Aid Committee, devoted to the care of neglected children. They petitioned the legislature to prohibit the "maintenance of children in almshouses". This act became a law in 1879. The committee placed all the children from almshouses with families. The Union Relief Association encouraged the formation of the Hampden County Children’s Aid Association to continue to improve conditions for impoverished or neglected children and orphans.
The Hampden County Children’s Aid Association worked to find homes for children where they would be able to learn values and skills. In 1881 the organization hired its first "caseworker" to provide professional visitations with the families with whom the children were to be placed.
20th Century Changes— Expanding Services for the Pioneer Valley
On April 26, 1950, the Family Service Association (formerly Union Relief Association) and the Hampden County Children’s Aid Association merged. The new name of the agency was Child and Family Service of Springfield. Hampden County Children’s Aid Association was discontinued and all services were now performed by Child and Family Service of Springfield.
The next merger occurred in 1961 when Travelers Aid Society became a part of Child and Family Service of Springfield. In April 1988 another merger occurred with the West Springfield Counseling Center, a treatment center organized by the West Springfield Selectmen in the 1970's. The goal was to broaden client services and diversify funding.
In 1990 Child and Family Service of Springfield changed its name to Child & Family Service of Pioneer Valley because the organization was helping people in communities throughout western Massachusetts.
In the mid-1990’s Child & Family Service of Pioneer Valley merged with two organizations that dramatically increased the organization’s services. First was the merger with Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Services of Western Massachusetts which included the oldest and largest early intervention program in the Springfield area, an adaptive sports program for individuals with physical disabilities, and an information and referral service for people with cerebral palsy.
The second addition to the agency was a local mental health clinic. The clinic provided mostly in-home mental health services in Hampden County with offices in Greenfield and Worcester.
Today, Child & Family Service of Pioneer Valley has over 125 employees with seven offices serving Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester counties. Current programs include: counseling/mental health, post adoption, early intervention, family preservation, refugee and immigrant services and disability services.
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