40 YEARS OF IMPACT
For four decades, Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter has stood beside families at their most vulnerable moments — ensuring children are safe, supported, and given the chance to thrive.
From childcare classrooms to family therapy rooms, from meals served to milestones reached, every success is powered by the same thing: a community that refuses to let the gears stop turning.
Together, we celebrate what’s been built.
Together, we invest in what’s next.
Together, the gears keep turning.
1986
Atlanta Children's Shelter, founded as a 70th anniversary project of the Junior League of Atlanta and partnering with North Avenue Presbyterian Church, opens as an emergency day shelter providing safe, reliable care for children while parents work toward stability, focusing on crisis response and basic needs.
1987
Georgia Governor, Joe Frank Harris, joined the Shelter in celebrating their first anniversary.
1989
Dr. Jacqueline Brown joined as Executive Director and, over 21 years, helped shape some of the Shelter’s most defining milestones—from national accreditation to expanded programs and services for families.
1992
The Center developed its first specialized curriculum for children ages birth to 5 who live in homeless shelters and is asked to present at the annual conferences of the Georgia Association on Young Children and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
1992
Atlanta's first black mayor, Maynard Jackson, believed that a city’s greatness was measured by how it cared for its children. During his third term in the early 1990s, Jackson’s administration worked closely with community organizations like the Atlanta Children’s Shelter to address the growing crisis of family homelessness.
1995
The Shelter broke ground for North Avenue Presbyterian's new Vernon Broyles Ministry Center, the new home for The Shelter—marking the start of something bigger, brighter, and built just for them.
1996
The Shelter celebrated the Grand Opening of its new, expanded and improved facility, with more than 6,000 square feet and the ability to serve 40 children each day.
1997
The Shelter received the UNICEF Atlanta Jean Childs Young Child Survival Award—a powerful moment of recognition for the work happening right here in our community.
1997
Job Track program began, providing homeless parents with on-site job-seeking skills and resources.
1998
The Aftercare program began, offering a year of social work support to families who have moved into homes and are rebuilding stable lives.
2000
The Early Childhood Education program is completed and The Shelter received the rigorous National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation.
2001
The Shelter celebrates 15 years with continued education such as, The Inclusion of Children with Special Needs, a series of workshops for the teachers.
2004
Former Client, Joanne Hodges Hood, received the inaugural Junior League of Atlanta Empowerment Award.
2005
In its 8th year, Job Track saw a surge of parents due to Hurricane Katrina. In response, the employment counselor position was reclassified as full time.
2008
The Shelter's Happy House logo received a modification to clarify the mission "guiding homeless families to independence."
2010
After 21 years of service, Dr. Jacqueline Brown announces her retirement—leaving behind a legacy of compassion, vision, and unwavering commitment to families.
2013
New Trauma-Informed Care Training is started in conjunction with Mercer University doctoral students in the Counselor Education & Supervision Department to increase staff awareness and responsiveness to the symptoms of traumatic stress in both parents and children.
2015
Early Childhood Education offers new inclusion services to children with special needs through a partnership with Bright from the Start which includes in-house hearing and vision screening, behavioral intervention, and advanced individualized group play therapy and to provide enrichment such as foreign language classes, sign language classes, wellness sessions, and STEM/STEAM Academy with support of Georgia State University, the Marcus Center, and Babies Can't Wait.
2016
The Shelter received the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award, which is only given once every 10 years.
2020
During the COVID-19 lockdown, the Shelter launched Virtual School Academy which provided services to students from kindergarten through 5th grade. The Shelter also provided school supplies, new desks with proper spacing, laptops, printers, recreational supplies, and a host of other resources to ensure safety levels were achieved, allowing parents to remain employed and housed.
2024
The Shelter became Atlanta Children's Day Shelter to help clarify the day services provided to families. The new logo features two gears with happy faces which represents the two-generation approach and the joy found through family togetherness.
2025
In 2025, the Day Shelter increased enrollment by 67%, earned Georgia’s highest Three-Star Quality Rated certification and maintained a 90% teacher retention rate, reflecting a stable, high-quality learning environment.
2026
Our Pre-K class marked our 40th anniversary with a special field trip to the capitol —meeting Governor Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp.
