Our Story

The roots of ECFA go back to May of 1946 when a newborn baby girls was found in a paper carton inside the door of the women's dormitory at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.  Because no evangelical Christian agency existed to provide services for birth parents and adoptive parents, "Baby Isabella" was placed in temporary foster care.

Faced with this challenge, a committee of lay persons and ministers gathered to consider the matter of establishing an evangelical Christian agency. The challenges were considerable: the need for a state license,  sponsorship by a national organization, and a large sum of cash to show financial stability, and a qualified social worker. The goals were eventually reached by May 1, 1950.  When the agency opened in Illinois,14 children were accepted for placement with families.  Since those beginnings, over a half century ago, the agency has grown dramatically.  

In 1984 the first Wisconsin office was opened in the Milwaukee area. A resale store named Almost Anything opened in the mid-eighties to benefit agency programs. Known for its wide selection of goods, the store has one paid supervisor and more than fifty dedicated volunteers that serve customers six days a week.

With three offices in Wisconsin and five in Illinois, ECFA serves hundreds of children and families every year. More importantly, meeting the spiritual needs of those children and adult clients are the agency's primary concern. ECFA staff are not only trained professionals, but also deeply committed Christians. The physical and emotional needs of individuals and families are addressed from a biblical perspective.

To get an overview of the kinds of services ECFA provides, go to the Services page. You can also send us an email and we would be glad to send you brochures on our services.