Founded in 1908 by Anne Harriman Vanderbilt, Irene Langhorne Gibson, Louisine Havemeyer, Lillie Skiddy Parker and Blanche Ittleson, Big Sisters, Inc. aimed to improve the lives of ‘wayward’ girls who were brought in front of the Children’s Court in Manhattan. The founders and volunteers visited homes, bought food and clothing and provided a guiding hand to underprivileged girls who had few other positive role models in their lives.

Throughout the years, Big Sisters, Inc. responded to the changing needs of at-risk children and youth in New York City.

1908 Founded as Big Sisters to serve court-referred girls in New York City

1914 Big Sisters Home is created to give girls, sent by the Children’s Court of New York, rest and case and an escape from the city’s streets

1920s Preventive work accounts for 34% of the agency’s work; focus is on the lives of minority students

1930s Services expand to include the distribution of holiday clothing, gifts and food, a camp program court appearances, home visits and collaboration with other social service agencies

1940s Agency mission shifts further towards preventative work. Board of Directors acknowledges the inception of social work as a profession with recognized standards

1950s A professional social work staff is hired to provide counseling, casework, and psychiatric and psychological assistance to more children and their families

1960s Marriage and family counseling is added to services provided

1970s By mid decade, 99% of children served are minorities. School outreach program begins

1980s School-based individual counseling and full classroom groups introduced. Life Steps program is created to provide counseling services to children at risk of being removed from their families due to abuse, neglect, or family break-up

1993 Open Heart-Open Mind school-based program is launched to improve emotional, social and cognitive development of at-risk NYC public school children

1998 Agency’s name is changed to Partnership with Children

2001 In response to the September 11th tragedy, the Open Heart-Open Mind crisis response and trauma support program is developed to help at-risk children, families and school communities cope in a healthy manner.

2004 The first replication of the Open Heart-Open Mind program takes place in Bridgeport, CT.

2005 The Center for Capacity Building is established in order to provide professional development and training in Open Heart-Open Mind best practices to serve schools who want to implement the program.

2008 Partnership with Children celebrates its Centennial and plans for the next 100 years of helping children

Today, Partnership with Children serves over 12,000 elementary, middle and high school students in all five boroughs of New York City.