In 1883, The Reformed Church in the United States established “The Reformed Orphan’s Home of Fort Wayne, IN.” In October 1883, nine-year-old Hermann Leisering came to live with our first Superintendent, Rev. Over many decades, hundreds of orphans and other children in need of a home came here to live on the land on which we were founded and still stand on today. As the need for orphanages began to
diminish after World War II, we adapted by providing a home for unwed mothers known as Woodhaven and services for emotionally troubled children. More than 1,000 unwed mothers came to Woodhaven from 1959 to 1973 to live until giving birth. Members of supporting churches adopted most of the infants. The need for these services diminished in the early 1970s as it became acceptable for unwed mothers to remain in their family homes. However, we continued to work with troubled children, expanding our services and making a name for ourselves in the Midwest as one of the finest treatment providers for emotionally troubled young people. For many years we were known as The Fort Wayne Children’s Home. In 2010 our legal name became Crossroad Child & Family Services, Inc. Today we provide a full spectrum of services in residential, outpatient, home-based, and community settings. David Mullins became our President and Chief Executive Officer in 2021. He is the thirteenth administrator of our agency.
