Open Door Children's Home

Open Door Children's Home is a child-welfare organization in Rome, Georgia, United States. It provides residential care and related support for children who cannot safely remain in their usual living circumstances, including children affected by abuse, neglect, inadequate living conditions, or the death of a parent. The organization is described as serving Northwest Georgia and operating through community support, volunteers, and donations. The home began in 1927 as a temporary shelter for children whose fathers had been imprisoned for selling alcohol during Prohibition. In 1929, it moved to a larger facility and developed into a permanent placement home. In 1936, Floyd County, the City of Rome, and the federal government established what became known as the Girls Home as a permanent facility. That building could accommodate as many as 30 girls and younger boys. For more than six decades, the organization primarily housed girls and young boys. A later expansion addressed the need for residential placement for teenage boys. In 2000, board members Louise Hunt and her husband, Elwood Hunt, helped lead the development of a separate facility known as the Louise Hunt Home for Boys. The project received assistance through a development block grant. The two homes together are described as having capacity for up to 54 children from birth to 18 years of age. The organization's care model combines housing with practical, health, and emotional support. Services described for residents include medical and dental care, therapeutic care, meals and snacks, clothing, help with daily activities, homework assistance, and recreational or social activities. The home aims to provide a clean, stable, home-like setting, with houseparents and other staff offering consistent supervision and personal attention. Children may view houseparents as surrogate parental figures during their stay. Open Door Children's Home is not presented as a consumer product brand or commercial company. Its identity is instead associated with residential child protection, emergency and ongoing placement, independent-living resources, and transitional support. Its continued operation depends substantially on local participation, including volunteers and recurring donations. Public reference material describes it as a long-standing institution serving the region for more than eight decades, while the available material does not establish its current legal structure, present leadership, funding totals, or exact contemporary program scope.

Open Door Children's Home opened in 1927 in Rome, Georgia. Its earliest role was to provide temporary shelter for children whose fathers had been jailed for selling alcohol during the Prohibition era. The institution moved to a larger location in 1929, after which it became a permanent placement home rather than a short-term shelter. In 1936, Floyd County, the City of Rome, and the federal government collaborated on a permanent facility that became known as the Girls Home. The building could house up to 30 girls and younger boys. For over 60 years, the home mainly served girls and younger male children, reflecting the placement needs and operating model of the period. By the end of the twentieth century, the organization identified a need for a dedicated placement option for teenage boys. In 2000, board members Louise Hunt and Elwood Hunt helped support the construction of the Louise Hunt Home for Boys. The project was aided by a development block grant and expanded the institution's ability to serve male adolescents. The two residential homes together are described as having capacity for up to 54 children, ranging from birth to 18 years old. Residents commonly include children who have experienced sexual, psychological, or physical abuse; neglect; poor or unsafe living conditions; or the death of a parent. The home provides a stable residential setting together with medical, dental, and therapeutic care. Beyond formal services, the organization emphasizes everyday caregiving. Children receive meals and snacks, clothing, assistance with homework and daily living, and opportunities for activities. Staff members, including houseparents, provide supervision and emotional reassurance in an environment intended to resemble a family home. The organization describes houseparents as surrogate parental figures for many residents. Open Door Children's Home has been supported by the surrounding community through volunteers and donations. Its stated role in Northwest Georgia includes not only residential placement but also resources connected with independent and transitional living. The available reference material portrays the organization as an enduring regional child-welfare institution that intends to continue operating while there is a need for its services. Detailed information about current leadership, governance, legal status, present capacity, and recent developments is not established in the supplied sources.

• 2000

  Louise Hunt Home for Boys is built

  [1]Open Door Children's Homeen.wikipedia.org

  A new home for teenage boys is developed with support from board members Louise and Elwood Hunt and assistance from a development block grant.

• 1936

  Permanent Girls Home established

  [1]Open Door Children's Homeen.wikipedia.org

  Floyd County, the City of Rome, and the federal government establish the permanent facility later known as the Girls Home.

• 1929

  Move to a larger facility

  [1]Open Door Children's Homeen.wikipedia.org

  The home relocates to larger premises and becomes a permanent placement institution.

• 1927

  Home opens in Rome, Georgia

  [1]Open Door Children's Homeen.wikipedia.org

  Open Door Children's Home begins as a temporary shelter for children whose fathers were imprisoned for selling alcohol during Prohibition.

A community-supported residential child-welfare provider focused on safe housing, nurturing care, therapeutic support, and developmental assistance for children in crisis.

• Residential child care · 1936

  Girls Home

  The Girls Home is the permanent residential facility established in 1936 through cooperation among Floyd County, the City of Rome, and the federal government. Historically, it housed girls and younger boys and formed the central institutional setting for Open Door Children's Home for more than six decades. The available material does not specify its current gender or age allocation separately from the combined program.

• Residential child care · 2000

  Louise Hunt Home for Boys

  The Louise Hunt Home for Boys was created to address the need for placement and care for teenage boys. It was developed in 2000 with leadership support from board members Louise and Elwood Hunt and assistance from a development block grant. Together with the Girls Home, it contributes to the organization's reported capacity to house children from birth through age 18.

• Child-welfare services

  Residential and transitional support services

  Open Door Children's Home provides a home-like residential environment with meals, snacks, clothing, medical and dental care, therapeutic support, homework assistance, help with daily activities, and supervised activities. The organization also describes resources connected with independent and transitional living, although the supplied material does not detail specific programs or eligibility rules.

1. 1Open Door Children's Homeen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Open Door Children's Home official websiteopendoorhome.org