ABOUT US
A community leader since 1896, Child & Family Guidance Center (CFGC) takes a state-of-the-art approach to treating individuals with complex mental and behavioral health challenges throughout seven North Texas counties - Dallas, Collin, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro, and Rockwall.
At CFGC, NO ONE is turned away regardless of their ability to pay. From diagnosis to therapy and medication management, our doctors and counselors help tens of thousands of North Texans each year recover from trauma caused by abuse, severe neglect, and poverty, empowering them to turn their lives around.
OUR MISSION
To provide quality, accessible mental health services to strengthen children, families and communities.
OUR VISION
A future where all children and families have access to mental health resources needed to grow into healthy, contributing members of society.
Our History
Transforming North Texas's System of Care for 125 Years
Over the past 125 years, Child & Family Guidance Center has evolved to deliver the most visionary behavioral health services to North Texas’s children, adults, and families.
1896
We began in 1896 as United Charities, a financial assistance and food distribution center for Dallas residents in desperate need of relief during a record-breaking winter.
1920s
Throughout the 1920s, United Charities worked diligently to provide relief and help individuals find ways to support themselves. Against the backdrop of the Great Depression, there were many challenges. The number of people out of work and requests for assistance grew. As a result of these challenging times, United Charities continued to expand its services.
1930s
In 1937, with the assistance of the Family Service Association of America, United Charities deployed an entire professional staff, able to focus on individual and family relationship issues while providing limited financial assistance. In the early forties, United Charities became known as Family Service, contributing to the general public’s growing awareness of counseling. But with World War II, even more changes would be required. Family Service began several programs during the war years, including Traveler’s Aid and the Working Mother’s Center, which offered child care for women entering the workforce.
1950s & 1960s
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Family Service continued to broaden its scope of service. Internships for graduate students began. A television program called Family Life Education, aimed at high school students, later grew to include classes on parenting, marriage enrichment, and divorce adjustment. In 1967, Family Service became Family Guidance Center to more accurately reflect the services being provided at the time.
1970s & 1980s
Over the next two decades, community education programs and services also continued to expand. This included programs to assist police officers in responding to domestic disturbance calls and the Employee Counseling program, which was started to help employees and their families.
1990s
The 1990s saw continued growth of services and continued focus on quality. During this decade, Family Guidance Center merged with the Collin County Child Guidance Center and Center for Help of Abused and Neglected Children (CHANCE). They opened a new facility and expanded services to even more counties. In 1996, the 100th anniversary, Family Guidance Center consolidated with Dallas Child Guidance Clinic to form the present-day Child & Family Guidance Center.
2020s
With the need for mental health being higher than ever, Child & Family Guidance Center launched two new ventures to better our local community:
Child & Family RX, our on-site pharmacy that helps us better serve our clients by addressing accessibility concerns.
Child & Family Primary Care, which allows our clients to establish a care team within CFGC that addresses not only their mental health, but also their physical healthcare needs.
These new advancements allow our community to receive a complete continuum of care- all in one location.
2023
With the ever-expanding needs of the community, the Child & Family Guidance Center continued to push forward into the 21st century. Today, we are one of the most comprehensive, family and patient-centered treatment providers to tens of thousands of children, adults, and families annually throughout eight counties in North Texas.
