The Children’s Aid Home and Society of Somerset County was founded on May 1, 1889 at the Park Hotel in Somerset. In 1910, a countywide canvas was made of the friends of the Society and enough money was raised to purchase the Home at 574 East Main Street. The house was built in 1887 as a private residence. The Children’s Aid Home and Society developed its Foster Family and Adoption Programs in 1947.

    In July 1997, our agency was restructured to establish The Children’s Aid Home and Society as a separate corporation and The Children’s Aid Home Programs as our program corporation.

    It’s been over 114 years since The Children’s Aid Home and Society of Somerset County was founded. We continue to be a private, non-profit social service agency, guided by a Board of Directors and Board of Trustees.

    The Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors authorized a project to construct a new home on 55 acres of donated property north of Somerset. The new home was completed in September of 2001. It is named the Shoemaker Home in memory of Alvin and Sally Shoemaker and is located on the Wheeler Campus, so named to honor Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Wheeler, Jr.

The new building has allowed The Children’s Aid Home Programs of Somerset County, Inc. to increase the services it provides:
~ Residential Care for children between the ages of 12 and 18.
~ Foster Family Program - provides family care service for children (infants to 21 years).
~ Partial Hospitalization Program - for children between 12 and 18 is a non-residential treatment program, which includes a specially tailored academic curriculum.
~ Adoption Program - provides services for children of all ages, including those with special needs.
~ Alternative Education Program - the newest program offered at The Children’s Aid Home, broadening our continuum of quality services. The program is provided on site and is the result of a partnership with the Somerset Are School District and serves students in grades 6-12.
~ Search & Reunion - The Children's Aid Home Programs of Somerset County, Inc. has two authorized representatives with the ability to conduct searches for adoptees or their birth parents.

Our Mission is to provide a continuum of quality services, which promote the emotional, behavioral, educational and physical development of children, adolescents, and their families.

• Care and services are provided in a safe, nurturing, and non-judgmental environment.
• Care and services are provided considering the individual strengths and needs of the child and family.
• Care and services are provided by trained professional staff who are provided all needed resources.
• Staff are dedicated and committed to fulfilling the mission and achieving the vision of the organization.
• Children and families are appreciated for their distinct family, cultural, and spiritual beliefs and differences.
• Children and families are treated with respect, honesty, and the most appropriate level of service.
• Programs and services are continually reviewed and evaluated for the purpose of improvement.

The Children’s Aid Home Programs will be the successful, respected, and premier provider of comprehensive children and family services in the area.