Families, Inc. was the first in the State of Iowa to provide in-home family centered services. Families, Inc., a private, non-profit, social service agency, came into existence in 1974 following the closing of the century-old Iowa Annie Wittenmeyer Home. The state legislature, in recognizing the inability of the state institutions to serve the populace uniformly and recognizing the soaring costs for those who were served, mandated that the Iowa Department of Social Services develop alternatives to institutional placement and appropriated special funds for such attempts. Since that time, many programs in this state and other states have been modeled after Families, Inc. Families, Inc. is the oldest continuing home-based services agency in the United States.

The concept espoused by Families, Inc. was a simple one. Essentially, the agency attempted to bring into the homes the type of professional services that had formerly been available only within institutional settings when intensive service was needed.

Families, Inc. philosophy has been such that no two families are alike, so programs must be tailored to meet the special requests and the unique circumstances of each family. This has required professional staff trained to assist families in a wide range of areas.

The major goal in providing an intensive in-home service is to utilize the strength within the family, preventing family break-up, and to expand the parameters of effective community-based treatment resources.

Families, Inc. has evolved from providing family centered services, foster care services and adoption services to Behavioral Health Intervention Services, Children’s Mental Health Waiver Services, and several other home and community based programs. Families, Inc. continues to provide services to primarily low-income, at-risk families. We serve over 800 children annually.

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