History and Services
Faith in Families, formerly known as the Catholic Children's Society, Nottingham, was founded by Bishop Ellis, the Bishop of Nottingham in 1948. The Society was originally dedicated to helping children without parents to find a new loving Catholic family. Bishop Ellis was inspired to establish the Society when a distressed mother left a new born baby on the steps of the Cathedral in Nottingham. Deeply moved by the fact that many children have to grow up without a caring family, Bishop Ellis decided to do something about it and from there, the Society began its work with children and families.
The Society's past work included residential care in Colston Bassett Nursery, near Nottingham, Carmel Children’s Home, Kirby Muxloe, Leicester and Kinder Lodge Children’s Home, Hadfield, Derbyshire. Accommodation for mothers and babies was provided at St Joseph’s, Borrowash House, near Derby, from 1948 to 1975 when it transferred to premises at West Bridgford, Nottingham, prior to closing in 1997.
Our belief in the importance of family life is as strong today as it was when we first began our work. We have found new families through adoption for more than 2,000 children. These are children who, for various reasons and through no fault of their own, are unable to continue living with their own families. They need a new start with a new family that can reflect their culture and heritage, and offer them what they need most: love, support, patience and stability.
As the needs of the community we are privileged to serve change, so has the way the Society responds, so that we now offer a wide range of services for children in need across the East Midlands which include:
- Adoption
- Adoption Support, (including Groups for Children, Intermediary Services, Birth Family tracing)
- School Social work service
- Bereavement service for young people
- Domestic violence programme for children, and
- Positive parenting