ChildSavers History:
Celebrating 85 Years of Service

More than 85 years ago, Martha Patteson (Mrs. Melville C.) Branch gathered together many of Richmond’s wealthiest and most prominent citizens to found what was then known as the Children's Memorial Clinic in memory of Dr. McGuire Newton, Richmond’s first pediatrician. Dr. Newton had died in 1923 while serving children from all walks of life during the flu epidemic. The Clinic was opened in 1924; its mission was “to do all things necessary or desirable in the diagnosis and treatment of children for all manner and kind of physical or mental infirmities.” With the financial support of the Commonwealth Fund of New York, we quickly became one of the first ten child guidance clinics in the United States, and the first in the South.

Early in our existence, we defined our focus to serve the mental and emotional needs of children. Over the years, we have developed numerous strategic programs to address contemporary needs: special workshops, residential programs, day programs and a range of outpatient treatment and prevention services. Within the context of these programs, we have always provided interdisciplinary training and supervision opportunities of for students from Virginia Commonwealth University in psychiatry, social work, psychology, child development, and family specialties. 

Our organization grew rapidly and for many years was closely aligned with the Memorial Foundation for Children, which ran an orphanage in Richmond’s Northside. When in the early 1970s the Memorial Foundation for Children closed its orphanage and became strictly a grant-making organization, we moved to the city's East End and continued to provide mental health services to children.

In the early 1980s, the Prevention (later Education & Training, now Child Development Services) Department was added to train and equip child care providers, parents, and the community to better care for young children.

In the mid-1990s, we extended our services off-site, going into community settings to make our services more easily accessible to a population that struggles with transportation and other logistical issues. We partnered with schools, community centers, and emergency shelters, and maintain strong relationships with the health clinics and government agencies that work to serve needy children throughout the Richmond Metro area.

Early treatment is the key to preventing future mental health problems. In 2004, we launched our Trauma Response (then known as ChildSAVE) program. Mental health clinicians are on call 24/7 to respond to children involved as witnesses or victims of traumatic events.

ChildSavers is the oldest provider of mental health services for children in the metro Richmond area. We are licensed by the Virginia Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation & Substance Abuse Services. Our organization is also a member of the Child Welfare League of America and is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA). 

ChildSavers is currently celebrating our 85th anniversary of service to Richmond and Central Virginia. Through decades of careful, studied work with children and their families, ChildSavers has learned how to help Richmond’s children in crisis.  Unfortunately, the number of children in crisis in our community is growing. ChildSavers is often the last hope for children who have nowhere else to turn. Each year, thousands of children and those who care for and teach them are helped through our various programs, yet the demand for our services is always greater than our capacity. We simply need more resources to serve more children. Your support will help close this critical gap between need and capacity.