Our Centers

Children’s Aid Society (CAS) began in 1913 as a mission of the Southern Pennsylvania District Church of the Brethren.  The original mission was to aid abandoned, orphaned, and displaced children and CAS sheltered children in foster families and at the children’s home in Carlisle for more than 40 years. For over 30 years and today our mission has been to empower children and their families to build stronger, healthier lives. We envision a world where all children are safe and feel loved. We accomplish this through the work of our four centers in southcentral Pennsylvania:

         The Frances Leiter Center in Chambersburg

providing creative art and play therapy services to children ages 2 to 18.

1. The Nicarry Center in New Oxford
2. providing creative art therapy services to children ages 3 to 18 and a fee free clothing bank for children ages 0 to 12 called God’s Closet.
   2. The Lehman Center in York
      1. Providing creative art therapy services to children ages 3 to 18, a crisis nursery and respite services to children newborn through age 6, one of three in the state of PA and one of ninety in the United States, family advocacy services, a 24-hour parent crisis hotline, parent support and educational groups including the Incredible Years program, parents in prison groups, pregnant high school parent group, and a community parent group.
   4. Cornerstone Youth Home in York
      1. Providing a community-driven solution serving students, ages 6 through 13, who are experiencing homelessness and transience. CYH provides long-term, stable housing to the children while working with their families to resolve issues surrounding education, employment, health, and housing, increasing a student’s capacity for life-long educational success by disrupting the cycle of homelessness and transience in a safe, stable, restorative practice home environment.

3. In its 110-year history, CAS has helped thousands of children and families.  Over the years, the board and staff at CAS are proactive in evaluating and changing the services offered as the needs of children change and as methods of helping children evolve and grow, creating family self-sufficiency especially for low-income families. Over 86% of our families live in or at 200% poverty. CAS envisions a world where all children are safe and feel loved, regardless of socio-economic status or a family’s ability to pay.