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"We must see...that no one shall be hungry, or naked, or without shelter, but it is of higher importance than that to see that no one grows to manhood or womanhood unable to earn food and clothing and shelter for himself or herself; so shall the burden grow lighter."
Flavel S. Luther
Former President of Trinity College at CHAS's First Annual Conference on Charities and Corrections, 1910

CAHS was founded in 1910 as the State Conference on Charities and Corrections, a volunteer organization that held annual conferences to discuss philosophies and innnovations in the growing field of social work. Over the next 60 years, these conferences launched discussions on issues which are still of concern today.

In 1970, seeking to become more action-oriented, CAHS became a full-time professional organization, with the goal of making the human service system work. Understanding the change required broad-based support, CAHS approached state policymakers, human services providers, the corporate sector, religious institutions, labor, and concerned individuals with a policy agenda backed by credible research. Their support gave CAHS a voice and respect it otherwise could not have garnered in developing human services policy and programs in Connecticut.

Over the past decade, while covering a broad range of human service issues, CAHS's focus has been on hunger, child care, and health care. In recent years, CAHS has:

• Conducted a scientifically valid study of childhood hunger that has been replicated nationally, and conducted outreach to enroll families in Food Stamps and other programs.
• Published Programs that Help People, a compendium of social services for agencies and their clients; the annual KIDS COUNT data book on the well-being of Connecticut's children; and How To Get Food statewide and regional guides.
• Advocated successfully for legislation to expand the School Readiness program and to simplify applications for Food Stamps, and for federal administrative changes to make the Summer Food Service Program more readily available.

In some ways, our current focus marks a return to CAHS's earliest days, as noted by Flavel Luther above: we seek to ensure that basic needs are met for all residents, but more than that, we are working to ensure that every family has the tools they need to become self-sufficient, to create a stronger society.

Connecticut Association for Human Services | 110 Bartholomew Ave, Suite 4030 | Hartford CT 06106-2201
Email: info@cahs.org | (860) 951-2212 | www.cahs.org