Caritas Care has a long history as a charity providing care and support to children families and communities, although we have been known by a number of different names over the years which reflect the changing times. While our founding ethos and values remain constant, our services keep on adapting to meet the needs of society.

A plaque in the grounds of the Head Offices of Caritas Care in Preston commemorates 100 years of child welfare work. This link traces our roots back to 1897,when a group of local philanthropic Catholics raised enough money to open a boy’s home, St Vincent’s, in response to the appalling conditions that they saw around them, and which children in poverty faced in Victorian times.

It was in 1934 that the charity was first established as the Lancaster Diocesan Protection and Rescue Society, the social welfare arm of the Catholic Diocese of Lancaster. Inspired by Catholic Social Teaching, the charity provided care and support to children in need in language we would recognise today: ‘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.’ The Society ran two homes in Preston, St Margaret’s Hostel, and St Teresa’s Home, and in 1934 was approved as an adoption agency. By 1956, the move away from large scale children’s homes saw the closure of St Vincent’s, and the opening of two smaller homes, one of which remains today as the Head Office of our charity in Tulketh Rd. From time to time, we still have visits from former residents, who come to look round what used to be their home!

In 1981, the charity incorporated and changed its name to The Lancaster Diocesan Catholic Children’s Society, and developed a range of new community services, including a pastoral service to deaf people, and a day service for people with learning disabilities. Although our work with children and in adoption remained vitally important, the move towards more community based activities led to a further name change in 1987 to Catholic Caring Services to Children and Communities, shortened later to Catholic Caring Services.

Our work continued to grow and diversify, with the setting up of the Foster Care service in 1998, and the further expansion of our projects, learning disability and advocacy work into the wide range of services we now offer. The charity remained allied to the Diocese of Lancaster until 2009, when it became fully independent and changed its name to Caritas Care. Our work today continues to be inspired by the same values that drove those who, in different times, raised money to help children who were starving and homeless; our belief in the value of every person and community, and commitment to challenging injustice.