Family Foundations, originally Family Counseling Services, was founded in 1955 by the Junior League, United Way and the Jewish Welfare League to provide marriage and family counseling to low-income families.  The agency named Jeanne Kirkpatrick as Executive Director.

Family Counseling Services joined the Alliance for Children and Families in 1959, becoming part of the nation’s largest association of family service agencies.

Southern Bell Telephone donated a building to Family Counseling Services in 1969, prompting a move from rented facilities in West Jacksonville to our current location on Atlantic Boulevard in San Marco.

Up until the early 1970’s, our primary mission was to provide marriage and family counseling.   We then branched out into providing budget counseling and family life education programs.   With these expanded services, the agency sought and received accreditation by the Council on Accreditation in 1977, becoming one of only five agencies in Jacksonville with such credentials.

Jeanne Kirkpatrick retired after 27 years of service in 1983 and Richard McCulloch was named President.

In 1984, at the request of the United Way, our Board of Directors approved a merger with the local Consumer Credit Counseling Services.  Family Counseling Services became a member agency of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.  In 1993, Family Counseling Services was approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as a Housing Counseling agency.

Family Counseling Services began providing services directly in local schools in 1997 with the Families and Schools Together (F.A.S.T.) program, a nationally acclaimed juvenile delinquency prevention program.

Upon the retirement of Richard McCulloch in 2003, Dawn Lockhart was named President of Family Counseling Services.

The Board of Directors incorporated Asset Based Community Development strategies into all program services with the implementation of the Strategic Plan approved in 2004.   With this new strategy, Family Counseling Services was awarded a contract from the United Way of Northeast Florida to provide parent engagement and counseling services at the Westside Full Service Schools.  Family Counseling Services developed a new program BLAST®, Building Lives and Solutions Together to replace the F.A.S.T. program.  This new program includes community engagement strategies and has program outcomes reflecting our success at strengthening families and improving children’s success in school.

In 2005, the agency was approved by the Executive Office of the U.S. Trustees to provide bankruptcy counseling and education.

With the many changes and additions to the agency services, the Board of Directors approved a name change in 2006.  Our new name, Family Foundations, reflects our approach to building lives on solid solutions.

Family Foundations celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2006 and used the occasion to announce our name change.

Financial Services for Seniors were introduced in 2007.

In 2008, Family Foundations, in partnership with over 20 community organizations and leaders, launched 1000 in 1000, an initiative designed to move 1,000 people out of poverty in 1,000 days.

The Board of Directors approved the 2008 / 2010 Strategic Plan, with a revised mission for the agency - building strong, financially secure families.

Family Foundations continues to be innovative in creating new programs to meet the needs of families and the community.