A Place for Healing and Growth:
Since the establishment of Carrie Steele - Pitts Home, we have been faithful to our mission to provide a healthy, happy, and nurturing environment for children who cannot be with their families. We serve all children without regard to race, creed, color, religious preference, or national origin. Our programs are designed to develop children's minds, bodies, and spirits, while preparing them to be self-sustaining adults.

Ninety-eight percent of the children at CSPH are placed through the County Departments of Family and Children Services or the juvenile court system. A child's average length of stay at Carrie Steele - Pitts Home is 2 ½ years, but children have lived with us for periods ranging from 3 months to 8 years or more. The children usually are at least six years old, but younger children are accepted if it allows siblings to stay together. Court-approved, monitored family visits are allowed on campus and children may return to their families whenever rehabilitation and stability can be determined. Many of the children remain at CSPH until they reach young adulthood, finish high school, or find the means to live on their own.

Because all of the children that come to CSPH are dealing with difficult family situations, they are given the opportunity to heal and grow. For children trying to cope with grief, attachment and anger issues, we provide critical social work and psychological counseling to every child, according to his or her needs.

Full-time licensed social workers conduct daily on-site sessions and are available for emergency consultations. In addition to helping children be physically and emotionally healthy, we place a strong emphasis on receiving a quality education. Unlike many other homes for children, we do not have a on-site school because we encourage the children to be part of the larger community by attending local public schools.

We focus on regular school attendance, and we are proud of the fact that CSPH children were absent less than 2% of the 1998-99 academic year, compared to a 10% overall absenteeism rate for the Atlanta Public Schools during the same period. These attendance figures are important measures of success. Executive Director Ollivette Allison notes, "When the children are able to succeed at the local schools, and relate well to their peers and teachers, we know that we are doing something right."

All of the activities at the Home are designed to help the children develop a positive self-image and sense of values. Children are encouraged to express themselves through music, art, dramatic performance, athletics and other activities. We urge participation in extracurricular activities and arrange lessons for children to further develop their talents.

Adolescents are given the opportunity to work for extra spending money by performing jobs inside the Home, developing important practical skills that will help them find outside employment later. Our goal is to help children develop to their fullest potential, in all aspects of their lives.