St. Ann's Center for Children, Youth and Families, formerly known as St. Ann's Infant and Maternity Home, is administered by the

Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul The Company of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (; abbreviated DC), commonly called the Daughters of Charity or Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, is a society of apostolic life for women within the Catholic Church. ...

within the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington The Archdiocese of Washington () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church for the District of Columbia and several Maryland counties in the United States. The Archdiocese of Washington is home to the Ca ...

. It is located at 4901 Eastern Avenue in

Avondale, Maryland Avondale is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County Maryland, United States. It is contained between Eastern Avenue NE to the south, Queens Chapel Road (MD-500) to the east, and the Northwest Branch Anacostia River to the north an ...

. It provides housing and support to pregnant and parenting young women and their children, as well as quality day care to the children of working families.St. Ann's Center for Children, Youth and Families - Our Programs
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History

Prior to 1860 and the beginning of the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, three Daughters of Charity came from

Emmitsburg, Maryland Emmitsburg is a town in Frederick County, Maryland, United States, south of the Mason-Dixon line separating Maryland from Pennsylvania. Founded in 1785, Emmitsburg is the home of Mount St. Mary's University. The town has two Catholic pilgrim ...

, to

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, where they established the city's first foundling home. In 1861, St. Ann's initiated its first education and job-training program to prepare single mothers to become family breadwinners.St. Ann's Infant and Maternity Home website - History
/ref> On March 3, 1863, President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

signed an

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to incorporate St. Ann's Infant Asylum, as it was then called. St. Ann's was chartered "for the purpose of establishing and maintaining in the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, an institution for the maintenance and support of foundlings and infant orphan and half orphan children, and also to provide for deserving, indigent, and unprotected females during their confinement and childbirth." The asylum was charged with caring for the city's growing number of abandoned children and unwed mothers of all races and religions, many of whom had no place else to turn. For 83 years St. Ann's occupied the old

British Embassy This is a list of diplomatic missions of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, excluding honorary consulates. The UK has one of the largest global networks of diplomatic missions. UK diplomatic missions to capitals of other Co ...

at 24th Street and K Street, Northwest. In 1949, St. Ann's started providing affordable day care for working mothers with young children to further assist the Washington community. To meet the growing need for space and services, in 1962 St. Ann's moved from the city to a larger facility in

. In 1996, it was expanded to include a transitional apartment facility to help impoverished, young single mothers, and their children, make the transition to independent living.

Name Change

St. Ann's has been known by several names since its founding. Throughout most of its history, the organization was known as St. Ann's Infant and Maternity Home. In 2012, the name was officially changed to St. Ann's Center for Children, Youth and Families to better reflect the full range of clients served and programs offered.

Programs

St. Ann's currently operates transitional housing programs for at-risk mothers and their children as well as a community day care center. As a residential facility, St. Ann's operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Teen Mother-Baby Program

The program offers residential care for pregnant adolescents and young mothers up to age 22 and their babies. Extensive services include an accredited high school, medical care, parenting classes, life skills training, day care, individual and family counseling, and social and cultural activities.

Supportive and Transitional Housing Program

In 1996, St. Ann's opened Faith House to address the critical housing need for young, homeless mothers in our community. In 2013, the organization expanded its transitional living program with the opening of Hope House, a new housing unit for homeless single mothers and their children. In the Faith House and Hope House programs, vulnerable young families receive resources and support to help them transition to financial independence and self-sufficiency in two years.

Child Care Center

St. Ann's Child Care Center provides affordable, developmental day care for infants and preschool children in the community and in residence, including children with special needs, and children from low-income, single parent families and from families in crisis.

References

External links

St. Ann's Center for Children, Youth and Families external site
{{DEFAULTSORT:St. Ann's Center for Children, Youth and Families Orphanages in Maryland Buildings and structures in Prince George's County, Maryland Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington Maternity homes