Our History

For nearly 40 years, the Center for Children and Families Inc. has been actively working to change the lives of children in Cleveland County.  Our services have developed and progressed to meet the needs of children in this community. We have grown from one program with 134 children our first year, to five programs which effect thousands of children’s lives every year. Our core belief has remained the same—that every boy and girl deserves to grow up safe, nurtured and loved.

  1969  CCFI began as an extension of Oklahoma’s juvenile court system whose purpose was to provide a temporary safe place for youth who needed homes. The shelter took in several hundred children in the first three years with adults to care for them.

   1972  Our name was changed to Juvenile Services Inc. as the services expanded to include counseling youth and families, and the Extended Families program was started and provided short-term emergency foster care for children in volunteers' homes.

  1976  The Parents Assistance Program began by offering parenting classes and support for parents struggling with issues of child abuse and neglect.

  1979  The Divorce Visitation Arbitration Program was started to meet community needs and provide mediation, education, and child advocacy. The program aimed to reduce stress on children whose families were separating or divorcing.

  1986  The Teenage Parenting Program was started to provide parent education and support for pregnant and parenting teenagers to increase healthy outcomes for their children.

  1998  The Neighborhood Centers Program began as a way to provide a safe place for kids during out-of-school time.

  1999  Our name was changed to the Center for Children and Families, Inc. to better reflect the scope of the agency’s programs.

How Can I Learn More?

Please come learn more about our work on behalf of children in this community by attending a 50-minute Children Front and Center presentation.

We will give a tour of the CCFI facilities, share our vision, and tell you about the lives that have been touched through our work.

Click on Upcoming Events to find out this month's dates and times.