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In 1866, Ellen Townsend of Newport refused to look away from the children she saw begging in the city's streets. In response, she convinced her brother, Christopher, to donate their family home, along with $500 for repairs, to establish the Home for Friendless Children — a safe haven where vulnerable children could receive care and support. That founding act of compassion has endured for nearly 160 years, evolving into Child and Family Services of Newport County, an organization dedicated to supporting children, families, and elders throughout Rhode Island.

Today, Child and Family operates community engagement centers in both Providence and Middletown, providing comprehensive services that include matching children with foster families, an early learning center serving 150 children annually, family preservation programs including treatment and therapy, supportive housing for families, and Aging Well programs that help elders remain in their own homes.

"Child and Family is a human services organization with a wide breadth of programming," explains Jess Kennedy, who served as Board Chair when the organization established its endowment at the Rhode Island Foundation. "Our programs focus on care for community members from birth through an Aging Well process for the elderly." Current Board Chair Patricia Holliday shares that vision, describing Child and Family as an organization that supports community members across every stage of life — a continuum she believes is rare among human services organizations.

While many associate Child and Family with Newport County, Kennedy emphasizes the organization's reach across the state. "We have a big presence in Newport County, but we also have a statewide presence, with a big presence in Providence as well. We are dedicated to helping the Rhode Island community."

Child and Family has maintained an endowment since its founding, and in 2025, a competitive review process brought it to the Rhode Island Foundation. "It was the very clear choice," Kennedy notes. "We're both Rhode Island institutions serving the common good. We wanted to work with an organization that speaks our language, that understands what we do, and what's important."

For Susan Jacobsen, who joined Child and Family as President and CEO in 2025, philanthropic partnerships are part of the organization's DNA. "Philanthropy has played a key role throughout our history — allowing us to make very big pivots in moments when we knew that was the right thing to do. In choosing the Foundation as the home for our endowment, we knew we were aligning with an organization that shares our commitment to Rhode Island's children and communities. That mattered a great deal."

"Growing the endowment is really important to the board, to our new leadership, and to the organization," Kennedy shares. "I think Child and Family will be really well positioned for the future with the Rhode Island Foundation, well beyond my tenure on the board."