History of Leake & Watts

Leake and Watts Services, Inc. was founded in 1831 by John Watts, Jr., in honor of the desire and bequest of his friend, John George Leake. Moved by the rise in urban poverty and the reduction of public welfare aid for children in the 1820’s, John George Leake and John Watts, Jr. were at the forefront of a "social responsibility" movement of benevolence and charity. This movement gave birth to many orphanages and other social service agencies in the decades to come. When the Leake and Watts Orphan House (the original name) opened its doors in New York City, it was one of the first private charitable institutions in the entire country dedicated to children in need.

In 1843, the Leake and Watts Orphan House, home to 60 boys, opened at 112th Street and Amsterdam at the current site of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. In 1850, it opened its doors to girls as well. Expanding over the decades to come, in 1890, the Leake and Watts Orphan House moved to its current location in Yonkers, the 30-acre farm of the famous thespian Edwin Forrest with grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. This increased space both enriched the lives of the children and allowed the orphanage to expand its capacity and children’s services.

As the decades went on, Leake & Watts continually found new and innovative ways to meet the changing needs of society. In 1921, Leake & Watts introduced the cottage system on campus with six cottages, serving 10-30 girls each, and cottage "parents" to guide and assist the girls. This model is still the basis of our Residential Treatment Center at the Yonkers campus which integrates residential and therapeutic services for youth ages 12-21. In 1937, a Social Service Department was established with social workers to address the therapeutic needs of those in care. In 1944, Leake & Watts founded its Foster Home Department and began placing children in homes in the community.

Winning praise from Mayor O'Dwyer, Leake & Watts merged with the Orphan Home and Asylum of the Episcopal Church and the Sevilla-Hopewell Society of Brooklyn in 1947, expanding its capacity and scope. In 1955, Leake & Watts increased its efforts to find permanent adoptive homes for children unable to return to their birth families.

As the needs of society changed in the 1970's and 80's, Leake & Watts again adapted to the growing needs of the times. In 1976, Leake & Watts expanded its social service efforts to include programming for children with psychiatric disorders and developed partnerships with several local psychiatric hospitals which still flourish today. In an effort to stabilize families and prevent the need for children to enter our care, in 1979, Leake & Watts established the East Bronx Family Service Center, providing foster care preventive services including substance abuse treatment, job training, supportive housing assistance, and other critical services. From 1984-89, Leake & Watts expanded its presence in the Bronx with the establishment of seven early childhood education programs and a Head Start program to serve low-income families. Establishing itself as a leader in the field of HIV/AIDS services in 1985, Leake & Watts was the first social service agency in the nation to accept children with HIV/AIDS and implemented a specialized placement program to address this specific population in foster care. As needs for more group home services increased, Leake & Watts expanded its group home services with the addition of six new group homes in the Bronx and Yonkers including two homes for teenage mothers and their infants.

As the 1990's brought new challenges to the social services field, Leake & Watts established a new Drug-Exposed Infant Program. This pioneering program in the field of child welfare provided essential services to drug-exposed infants in foster care with an emphasis on early infant development and prevention. In 1994, Leake & Watts introduced the "village" concept, an expansion of the cottage system, and began construction of nine state-of-the art cottages at the Yonkers campus as well as recreational facilities including basketball courts, a baseball field, and an indoor pool. Construction also began on the Carol and Frank Biondi Education Center, featuring comprehensive educational and indoor recreational facilities. In 1996, Leake & Watts entered the field of juvenile justice and assumed operation of Woodfield Cottage in Valhalla, NY. This secure detention facility serves youth ages 10-16 awaiting trial with a focus on rehabilitation and prevention. The late 1990's also included additional preventive services for families struggling with HIV/AIDS at the East Bronx Family Service Center, the opening of the Marion and George Ames Early Childhood Learning Center on the Yonkers campus, and a greater emphasis on a neighborhood-based approach in our family foster care program aimed at placing foster children in their local communities.

In 1997, Leake & Watts opened Shrady Cottage, a specialized program at our Residential Treatment Center for girls in foster care who have been sexually exploited and have emotional challenges.  Our Residential Treatment Center began accepting students referred from their school districts’ Committees on Special Education in 2006. By 2009, the Residential Treatment Center had shifted from primarily serving youth in foster care to a combination of youth requiring educational and therapeutic supports, some of whom are in foster care.

Since 2000, Leake & Watts has continued to deliver new and innovative services to those in need. In 2002, Governor Pataki presented Leake & Watts with the Bronze Empire State Advantage Award for excellence in performance and practices. In 2004, Leake & Watts began to provide Medicaid Service Coordination to children and young adults with developmental disabilities and began to expand its developmental disabilities services in this area of need. In 2007, Leake & Watts opened its first group home in the Bronx for young adults with developmental disabilities. Since then, Leake & Watts has expanded its services to children and adults with developmental disabilities to include a second group home, recreation and respite services both on-site and at-home, and supportive employment and day habilitation services. In 2009, a third community residence opened and other community residences are in various stages of planning.

In 2011, Leake & Watts is celebrating its 180th Anniversary. Today, Leake & Watts serves over 3,000 children, adults, and families in need each day. Whether it is a child who has been abused and neglected, a parent struggling with substance abuse, or a young adult with autism learning to living independently, we strive to educate, support and empower our most fragile neighbors each and every day.