CAFS heritage dates back to 1865 through the Ballarat Orphanage and Ballarat Children's Homes.
The Ballarat District Orphan Asylum was established in Victoria Street Ballarat in 1865. Later organisations were known as the Ballarat Orphanage from 1909 and Ballarat Children's Homes from 1968. This agency became known as Ballarat Children's Homes & Family Services in 1984 and moved from Victoria Street to Ludbrook House, Lydiard Street Ballarat in 1988.
According to "A Century of Child Care--the Story of Ballarat Orphanage 1865-1965", the gold rush era and the search for fortune led to many families experiencing poverty and destitution. Great concern existed for the many children who were also being abandoned or orphaned at that time. The need for an institution to provide care for these children was strongly felt and fundraising began to raise the money to make this happen. After enough funds were secured the Ballarat & District Orphan Asylum was built and then established in Victoria Street Ballarat.
In 1869 the Orphanage farm was established and included a vegetable garden, piggery and dairy. The farm later became famous for its Jersey herd. In 1873 two classrooms were leased to the State and a new school building was later erected in 1920 the same year in which the annual holiday to Queenscliff was introduced and a house, Clifton, was purchased near the beach.
A Boys Hostel was established in 1927 which housed Orphanage boys apprenticed to various trades until its closure in 1961. In 1928 it was decided to establish a Toddlers block to accommodate children from 3-6 years of age. Major rebuilding of the home began in 1959 and was completed by 1965.
The Orphanage reflected the social and child rearing practices, attitudes and government policies of the day. Along with the community it went through many changes and transformation. Shifts in social values and policies, knowledge about child development and changes in economic policy led to the institutional care of children provided by the Orphanage being replaced by new services, policies and practices. Family Group Homes (FGH's) caring for children in the community were established and the first FGH at Ballarat Children's Homes opened in 1976.
Today Child & Family Services Ballarat provides Residential Care, Foster Care, Professional Care, Adolescent Community Placement and Adoption and Permanent Care as a range of services caring for children who do not live with their original families. Such programs rely on the generous support our partners. CAFS relies greatly on both voluntary and financial assistance from members of the community in order to maintain the range of services and programs for which it is responsible. We thank those who have chosen to make a donation to our cause which is a personal investment in the future of our community.