Who We Are
Manatee Children’s Services
Welcome to Manatee Children’s Services, dedicated to breaking the cycle of child abuse in Manatee County.
MCS was founded by Carol Chamberlain: a librarian, teacher, and social worker with a passion for child advocacy. Through her work in social services, Carol learned that Manatee County had a dire need for shelter to house abused children removed from their homes. She rallied fellow citizens who shared this cause and, on March 17, 1977, the group agreed to make the shelter a reality. To this day, MCS continues to operate as Manatee County’s only emergency shelter for child victims of abuse and the county’s only Child Advocacy Center.
We provide a full spectrum of programs serving over 16,000 children and families annually. Our mission is “to advocate for and provide the resources, skills, and shelter to alleviate abuse through prevention and intervention for all children and their families.” Since its inception as the community’s first and only emergency shelter for abused children in foster care, MCS now offers programs in treatment, prevention, intervention, and residential services. Such programs include an emergency shelter, long-term group homes, mental health services, parenting education and training, forensic medical and specialized child victim interview services, support services for relative caregivers, teen pregnancy prevention, and children’s personal safety.
Dedicated to Breaking the Cycle
Manatee Children’s Services is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that receives funding from federal, state, and local governments; private foundations; and private contributions.
Our committed funding sources include Manatee County Government, Florida Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers, Office of Attorney General Victims of Crime Act, Department of Children and Families, Safe Children Coalition, National Children’s Alliance, and Florida Department of Health.
MCS provides a full spectrum of programs serving over 12,000 children and families annually. Since its inception in 1977 as the Manatee County’s first and only emergency shelter for abused children in foster care, MCS has grown to offer programs in treatment, prevention, intervention, and residential services.
