Jewish Children’s Service Organization, Early History

The Jewish Children’s Service Organization provides scholarships, camperships and other financial assistance to Jewish children and colleges students in the Hartford area. The JSCO also provides grants and allocations to agencies serving the needs of children. The JSCO is the successor to the Hebrew Ladies Orphan Asylum, established in 1907 by a group of Jewish women to provide residential care for orphaned Jewish children. The Home was housed in a series of buildings and known by various names until the late 1940s. When traditional orphanages were replaced by the foster care system, the Home changed its name and adapted to changing needs. While the JCSO still provides assistance to children who cannot be cared for by their parents, the organization’s mission has expanded to include children from intact low-income families. This collection contains applications, minutes, financial and miscellaneous material from the late 1950s to the 1990s as well as secondary material documenting the early history of the children’s home.