Since 1963, CHILD, Inc. has been helping the children and families of Delaware. The organization was originally incorporated in 1963 as the Boys Home, but in 1973 became CHILD, Inc. as the organization expanded its focus from serving neglected, dependent and abused boys in a group home setting to providing services for the entire family. As CHILD, Inc. endeavored to treat the entire family, the agency quickly learned that in many of these families there were high incidences of domestic violence. Since services for victims of domestic violence were non-existent during the mid-seventies, CHILD, Inc. began developing programming for these families.

Today, CHILD, Inc. is committed to helping solve the problems associated with domestic violence and child maltreatment through its community-based programs, safety planning with clients, including assistance with protection from abuse petition filings, and shelter services for children and families.

We provide 24-hour hotline services and emergency shelter to victims of domestic violence and their children at two shelter locations in New Castle County, Delaware.  We also provide rapid rehousing services for families exiting our shelters to ensure they have safe, stable, and permanent housing.

Our youth emergency shelter, 24-hour runaway hotline and emergency beds for runaway youth, and foster care program provide children and teens with safety, age-appropriate programming and case management in a home environment. We provide advocacy to ensure that youth receive services from state agencies, schools, and community organizations to meet their needs. Through our runaway prevention workshops and anger management for youth sessions, we provide children/youth with information/resources, strategies, and tools to keep them safe.

For over 25 years, we have operated a community-based family resource center in the high needs community of Sparrow Run in New Castle County. In 2014, CHILD, Inc. expanded its commitment to the families of Sparrow Run by opening a safe haven for children which we call Kids Place. The Kids Place is a stable environment where children can meet after school, under the supervision and guidance of CHILD, Inc. staff to work on homework, participate in recreational and cultural enrichment activities and just be kids.

Parenting education classes and workshops are offered statewide to parent/caregivers of children from birth through teenage years. We offer specialized parenting programs for families who are in recovery from substance use, and for parents who are divorcing/separating including those who have experienced intimate partner violence in their relationships. We also offer clinical services to parents who are separating to assist with their co-parenting skills. 

CHILD, Inc. offers clinical treatment services to all members of families affected by domestic violence.  We offer domestic violence offender intervention programming to those who perpetrate intimate partner violence, we offer treatment for victims of domestic violence, and specialized treatment for children who have been victims or witnesses to domestic violence in their homes. 

Through our Family Visitation Center, Community Health Workers, and Domestic Violence Court Advocacy programs, CHILD, Inc. supports survivors of domestic violence in the community. 

As active participants on dozens of task forces, committees and planning groups, CHILD, Inc. is viewed as an integral part of Delaware’s social service community.