The Lancaster Diocesan Protection and Rescue Society was founded as the social welfare arm of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lancaster. The Charity, inspired by Catholic Social Teaching, was dedicated to providing care and support for children in need. Its mission was clear: 

‘To make adequate provision for the needs of those children who, owing to home conditions, have little or no chance of getting a fair start in life.’ 

This guiding principle remains written in the Charity’s Memorandum and Articles of Association to this day.

Following the implementation of the Adoption Act of 1926, which regulated adoption in England and Wales, the Lancaster Diocesan Protection and Rescue Society was approved as a Voluntary Adoption Agency in 1934. In its early years, the Charity was responsible for supporting and guiding the various welfare institutions within the geographical boundaries of the Diocese, which stretches from north of the River Ribble in Preston, through Lancashire and Cumbria up to the Scottish border.