Hearts & Homes for Youth helps abused, neglected, homeless and troubled children through a variety of residential and supportive programs. We offer counseling, advocacy, educational support, workforce readiness, and life skills training in a nurturing, homelike environment. 

Based in Maryland, we have served more than 30,000 young people since we opened our doors in 1964.  Our mission is to help at-risk children and youth to become independent, constructive, and valued adults.  We offer a continuum of care:  group homes,   therapeutic group homes,  independent living apartments, a program for  pregnant and parenting teens, a therapeutic foster care program, and a workforce development program, from locations in the Baltimore/Washington corridor.

Hearts & Homes for Youth is supported through federal and state funding and through donations from the private sector.  A private non-profit agency, we are guided by a Board of Directors, and sustained through the efforts of volunteers from the community.

History

Hearts & Homes for Youth was founded in 1964 to provide an alternative to placing troubled & “delinquent” adolscent boys from Montgomery County in institutional facilities.  Mel Feldman, an attorney, Alfred Noyes and John C. Tracey, juvenile court judges, Rex Smith and others who worked with children, established the agency in Rockville, MD.  Originally named The Boys’ Home of Montgomery County, our agency has undergone several name changes to accomodate its expanding services.

In the beginning , the agency sheltered four boys in an attic, upstairs from a halfway house for psychiatric patients.  Since that time, Hearts & Homes for Youth has increased its services to meet the needs of abused, neglected, homeless, and troubled children, from newborns to 21 years of age, and from all parts of the State.  We have sheltered and counseled more than 30,000 young people since we first opened our doors.

The hard work and dedication of our founders has attracted thousands of supporters from the community: individuals, corporations, religious organizations and many other kinds of groups.  Although most of our young people come to us through state agencies, government funds only about 80% of the cost of care for each child.  The rest comes to us through our community of supporters.

Since our beginnings, more than 44 years ago, many troubled young people have become independent, valued members of our community because of the committment and determined efforts of our staff backed by a supportive community.  Since 1964, we have dedicated ourselves to make each child feel cared for as our tagline says - “As If  They Were Our Own”.