Our History (continued)

As times change, The Salvation Army's Children's Services changed to meet the needs of the community. In doing this, Ivy House Children's Residence closed in the 1970s and a foster care program began in 1990.

Since 1990, a foster care program has grown to meet the needs of children in Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Lehigh, and Northampton Counties. To date, the foster care staff has worked to provide children with traditional and specialized foster care in the homes of foster parents. In addition to foster care, The Salvation Army has added an adoption component to the program for foster children whose placement goal has changed to adoption and for adoptions through The Statewide Adoption Network (SWAN).

The Salvation Army also recognized the special need for emergency care for older children and teenagers who are hard to place in foster care and established an emergency shelter for these children. The shelter, located in two of the cottages on the Ivy House campus, opened in the fall of 1994. It is named the MacLachlan House in honor of the woman who worked so hard to construct the facility in the early 1960s and who dedicated her life to helping children.

"Serving the Special Needs of Children Since, 1915"