"This agency provides so much to every aspect of the community, and it’s not just a certain type of person who could be served here. It’s anybody—any walk of life.”

-Karen Potter, Military Wife, Participant in Counseling Services

"The Up Center is part of my family. The staff is so supportive of me, even when I’ve had to call them at home, they’ve been there for me.”

-Thelma M., Foster Parent

Unabashedly Proactive

For 125 years, The Up Center has identified and responded to the ever-changing needs of our community’s most vulnerable individuals. From infancy to the senior years, we provide innovative and effective programs and services including: 

Foster Care and Adoption

Parent Education

Family Strengthening Programs

Youth Mentoring

Financial and Housing Counseling

Services for People with Disabilities

Veterans Counseling

Support for Seniors

Violence Prevention

              …….and so much more. 

Simply stated, our mission is to help people live better lives.

Our services are offered when and where they are needed—in homes, in offices, in schools and out in the community. Most programs are free or offered on a sliding fee scale. 

The Up Center serves as a nonprofit United Way Community Partner agency. We are formerly known as Child & Family Services of Eastern Virginia.

Our Budget

In 2007 the agency set out on an ambitious goal to substantially increase our programs and our impact on the community.  Our plan led to a budget increase of 52%, which was the largest revenue growth in the agency’s history. With that financing, we were successfully able to nearly double the agency’s in-home counseling services, increase services for the disabled and lay the groundwork for the opening of two new office locations. In 2008, we are now looking to increase our ability to respond to community crises, to fully implement our new mentoring program and to keep responding to the changing needs of the Hampton Roads community.  

Our Credentials

The Up Center is a fully licensed organization, accredited, and recognized by the Council on Accreditation . Our staff includes more than 140 full and part time employees, who have expertise in a wide range of social services.

Our Performance

We ensure excellence by utilizing a comprehensive Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) system. This involves stakeholders from all levels, including our clients and the community. The purpose of the CQI process is to assess and improve our organization’s performance, ensuring that the highest standards of quality are achieved.

By the Numbers

In 2007, The Up Center:

-Provided safe foster homes for 80 children and adolescents

-Provided more than 19,000 hours of intensive home based counseling for high-risk families

-Educated more than two thousand people about debt management and counseled nearly 700 seniors about reverse mortgages

-Offered a summer camp for 75 children and adults with disabilities

-Visited more than 300 families with young children to ensure healthy babies and healthy parenting

And so much more…..

If you are interested in supporting our programs or volunteering, please visit our Support Us page or our Employment & Volunteer Opportunities page.