History

1930

Early in the Depression, the agency focuses on providing direct financial assistance to individuals. Requests for aid more than double from 1930-1931. As the Depression grinds on, the agency sees more and more families with increasingly complex problems made worse by extended unemployment.
Throughout the 1930's the agency hires more psychiatric social workers (who in turn become the core of the Washington State Mental Health Association) and also becomes a "supervised field experience" site for UW Graduate School of Social Work.
1934-1935 — The state Welfare Department takes over public financial relief functions; the agency changes its name to the Family Society of Seattle to describe our focus more clearly and differentiate us from county and state welfare departments. The agency consciously sets aside its original, judgmental "charity for the worthy poor" approach and puts more focus on "the upbuilding of family life," with counseling as the primary service.
1935 — The agency hires its first African-American case worker to meet the specific needs of Seattle growing black community.