We’ve been dedicated to our mission since 1979. That’s more than 40 years! Since then, our organization has grown to serving more than 14,500 infants, children, young adults, and families each year.

1979

Incorporated as the “Council on Child Abuse and Neglect of Palm Beach County, Inc.,” a group of concerned citizens from varying backgrounds band together to:

  • Prevent child abuse and neglect
  • Disseminate information on prevention, detection and treatment of child abuse and neglect
  • Establish goals and priorities to help the community to prevent, detect and treat child abuse and neglect

1980-81

  • The program “The Children’s Place” becomes operational with the help of the Children’s Home Society, with a six-bed program offering daytime respite care for young children.

1983

  • Under new leadership, the agency begins accepting children for overnight stays with the help of the United Way Community Chest and Health and Rehabilitative Services (HRS).

1984-1987

  • The program continues to operate, serving children and families in the West Palm Beach area at a location on Hibiscus Street.

1988

  • The agency moves its location to 2309 Ponce de Leon Avenue, and purchases three small homes which are converted into offices and a living space for children.

1989-1990

  • The agency opens Connor’s Nursery, the first shelter in the entire state of Florida to exclusively serve children with AIDS, or who are HIV positive.

1991

  • The agency expands its West Palm Beach campus to include the “Family Cottage and Sibling Shelter,” a group home providing temporary housing for children whose parents are in rehabilitative treatment.

1992

  • The Council on Child Abuse and Neglect of Palm Beach County, Inc. merges with Connor’s Nursery, Inc. and formally becomes known as The Children’s Place and Connor’s Nursery, Inc.

1993-94

  • The Junior League of Boca Raton takes on the project of opening a twelve-bed shelter for abused children just north of Yamato Road at 680 Ipswich Street. The program is named “Children’s Place South.”

1995

  • Connor’s Nursery expands by eight beds, adding the Connor’s II respite program.

1996

  • A two-story administration building is built to accommodate the agency’s growth at 2309 Ponce de Leon Ave.

1998

This is an explosive year of growth and positive change. All while merging with Home Safe of Palm Beach County, Inc. the agency:

  • Begins serving the abused population from ages 10 through 17
  • Opens three additional group homes and a visitation center
  • Starts providing foster home services
  • In collaboration with the Office of the State Attorney (15th District), begins operating SafetyNet, a comprehensive and year-round program providing immediate intervention and prevention services to victims of domestic violence and their children.

1999

  • The agency name changes from The Children’s Place and Connor’s Nursery, Inc. to The Children’s Place at Home Safe.

2000

  • A capital campaign is launched to build a replacement campus for the aging West Palm Beach location.

2001

  • The agency executes a land swap with the City of West Palm Beach for ten acres of vacant land on Haverhill Road in return for the 2.3 acres on Ponce de Leon Ave. This new site is forever named the Sylvester Family Campus.

2002

  • Renovations begin on two buildings adjacent to the Children’s Place South. The added capacity of an additional eight beds allows for two sibling group homes. The expansion also provides for children of all ages to be housed together, eliminating the possibility of further separation upon being taken into state custody.

2004

  • The agency takes a bold step in opening the first two Specialized Therapeutic Group Homes in Palm Beach County. The homes open with the capacity to serve eight girls and six boys.

2005

  • The Connor’s Nursery program successfully comes to an end due to the advances in medical care for those afflicted with the HIV virus. Now, those children are mainstreamed and continue to live normal, productive lives.

2006

  • Construction is completed on the Sylvester Family Campus. Both the Specialized Therapeutic and Enhanced Group Homes for Boys increase their capacities on the new campus to serve a total of 24 boys.

2007

  • The agency begins the transition from providing shelter care services to a greater focus on specialized therapeutic group services.

2008

  • June 30th marks the last day the agency offers shelter care services.

2009

  • The Healthy Beginnings Program is launched by the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, with the agency becoming the exclusive entry agency for children entering the system between the ages of birth through five. The agency also adds four new locations across Palm Beach County to meet the demand for prevention services.

2010

  • The agency begins providing services through the Growing Smart program, a part of Healthy Beginnings. This expansion allows HomeSafe to forge relationships with at-risk families for up to two years, ensuring this vulnerable population does not slip through the proverbial ‘cracks.’

2011

  • The agency becomes known as HomeSafe.
  • HomeSafe creates the LifeSkills program to help at-risk youth prepare to become self-sufficient at 18, and productive members of society throughout their lives.
  • Helping to realize additional cost savings and enhance staff synergies, HomeSafe relocates two Healthy Beginnings locations to existing HomeSafe-owned properties including the Simon C. Fireman Campus (Lake Worth) and Bernstein Family Campus (Boca Raton).
  • Two residential cottages at the Bernstein Family Campus in Boca Raton named in honor of Countess Henrietta de Hoernle.

2012

  • Addition of Quality Assurance Coordinator for the Healthy Beginnings Program.

2013

  • Added the Outreach team to the Healthy Beginnings Program
  • Added an associate director and 3 outreach workers to the Healthy Beginnings Program

2014

  • Highest grossing Classic Rock & Roll Party Event, raising over $430,000 net, back to the agency.
  • Addition of the CQI Specialist for the Agency.

2015

  • HomeSafe purchased a mobile office to outreach the community at large about the Healthy Beginnings system of care.

2016

  • HomeSafe at Pond Place on the Bernstein Independent Living Campus opened in November 2016 with 12 one bedroom apartments for young adults aging out of foster care.
  • HomeSafe added a clinical director, compliance manager and a community liaison in the Healthy Beginnings Program.

2017

  • In October, the Haverhill campus was sold to MorseLife Health System. Proceeds from the sale will be used for the purchase of new property and the building of state-of-the-art facilities to serve clients.

2021

  • In April, HomeSafe opened the Sylvester Family Foundation West campus to provide a safe, secure home to twelve girls where they can learn to manage their trauma.In October, HomeSafe hosted a dedication ceremony for the Stoops Family Foundation Residential Cottage at the Sylvester Family Foundation West campus, honoring Aggie and Jeff Stoops and their children for their transformative $5,000,000 gift to the agency.

    The Bernstein Family Foundation gave a generous $1,000,000 donation to renovate the Bernstein Family Foundation Campus in Boca Raton.