Children's Home Society of Idaho

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The Childrens Home Society of Idaho was founded in 1908 by O.P. Christian. who worked alongside several community leaders, including C.W. Moore and Gov. Frank R. Gooding, to provide a place for children who were roaming city streets, begging and stealing food. Cynthia A. Mann, a school teacher and philanthropist, donated the land on which the home was built and still elegantly stands at 740 Warm Springs Avenue.When foster care came about in the early 1960s, orphanages were soon to become obsolete. Childrens Home Society worked with Boise State University to determine the greatest need in the community for children at that time. Studies showed that there was a lack of mental, emotional and behavioral health care for children, especially those in low-income families. Thus, a transition began in the late 1960s from orphanage to outpatient mental health clinic.