Our History

The agency began in this community, informally, in 1872.  A group of women from five or six downtown churches began caring for families in need.  They did this for six years, until a yellow fever epidemic hit Chattanooga in 1878.  They formally organized, drawing up a charter, and began work as the Women's Christian Association.  Their first charges were young girls who were left without homes or families because of this epidemic, and had been staying in rooms provided by the saloon owner, Mr. Savage.  These concerned women rented a house, and began their mission of helping children.

As time progressed, they moved from house to house, as space dictated.  About 1910, they were given land on Vine Street by Dr. McCallie, and built their own building.  At this time, they became known as the Vine Street Orphan's Home.  In May 1939, after this community raised $100,000 and the government gave $200,000, the current facility in Brainerd that had been built with WPA labor, was occupied.  The facility is the current campus today for CH/CS.  In 1955, the name was changed to Children's Home.

In the 1960's, a study of area social services revealed that lacking, was a 24 hour/per day child care center.  There was deemed to be a very high divorce rate in this part of Tennessee, and the city was highly industrialized, needing workers around the clock.  With the advent of foster homes, and medical advances, the need for orphanages had dwindled.  In 1969, the Children's Home became the area's first 24 hour per day, 365 days per year, child care facility, caring for children from six weeks through twelve years old, with fees all based on a sliding scale fee.   That program continues today, decades ahead of the current focus on childcare.  The Children's Home program today is a standard for area programs, and is a model for cities wishing to establish a 24 hour center.  The curriculum advancing children's development is complete with testing and assessments, to further enhance children's ability to reach their potential in school and in life.  There are currently 350+ children in this program.

The Chambliss Shelter was begun in 1946, when Judge Alexander W. Chambliss saw abused and neglected children coming through his court with no safe place to go.  Judge Chambliss personally gave $30,000 to build the Alexander W. Chambliss Home.  It was put under the auspices of the Humane Society, and was between the dog pound and the juvenile delinquents on Highland Park Drive.  In 1982, Hamilton County wished to divest themselves of this direct service agency, and approached the Children's Home about taking this program on campus.  In  January 1983, the Chambliss Home was moved, in its entirety, to 315 Gillespie Road, in a building that housed the infirmary for the orphanage, but had been remodeled to accommodate these abused and neglected children. 

That program continues today as this agency has come full circle- back to its beginnings, when children were in need of a safe haven.  Today, we not only provide for these children, but are once again, recruiting and training foster families, so that these children may live in a home environment if they cannot be reconciled with the biological family.  That is how this agency began- providing a safe space for children who, for whatever reasons, could not be home.  We have existed these 135 years because of the dedication of the staff and Board to the mission of the agency, and to the ability to recreate itself into what the community best needs for its children.

2012 Board of Directors

Chairman:  Bob Farnsworth

1st Vice Chairman:  Paul Jacobs

2nd Vice Chairman:  Tom Greenholtz

Treasurer:  Ann Campbell

Asst. Treasurer:  Mike Salisbury

Recording Secretary:  Catharine Bahner Daniels

Corresponding Secretary:  Jean Richardson

Past Chairman: Jane Kline

Frank Alford

Kino Becton

Barry Bogo

Christie Burbank

Candace Chazen

John Coffelt

Dr. Tonia Cox

Katherine Currin

Jack Exum

Ray Feher

Paul Fitzgerald

Lou Garcia

Ronald Harris

Howard Levine

Jill Levine

Kelly Lopez

Dave McMahon

Joy Megahee

Ruth Obear

Yahya Sadre-Orafai

Keith Sanford

Ross I. Schram, III

Gwin Tugman

Patsi Walker

Leigh Ann Yates

Chris Young

Our Budget

The budget for 2011 for the Children's Home/Chambliss Shelter was $4,026,355.  Here is how the numbers break down.

Revenue:

Government Agencies	$ 753,309
Shelter Fees	$ 902,399
Fundraising	$ 710,955
Parent Fees	$ 508,831
Management Contracts & Partnerships	$ 440,630
United Way	$ 258,942
Investment Income	$ 180,000
Other Fees	$ 85,289
The Thrift Store	$ 186,000
TOTAL	$ 4,026,355

Expenses:

Salaries & Benefits	$ 2,848,242
Vehicle & Building Maintenance	$ 469,253
Foster Parents & Allowances	$ 276,145
Food	$ 263,098
Miscellaneous	$ 45,976
Supplies	$ 80,611
Staff Education & Training	$ 23,238
Fundraising Expenses	$ 19,792
TOTAL	$4,026,355