Murphy-Harpst Celebrates 100 Years of Caring

Murphy-Harpst Children’s Center, which offers clinical, therapeutic and residential services to foster children, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this week.

The center plays a pivotal role on the front lines of the state’s recent surge in foster care cases and provides services for foster children who are often not eligible to be placed in a traditional foster care home.

“Murphy-Harpst’s mission is rooted in the biblical mandate to share the love of Christ and defend the cause of the fatherless, and because of Ethel Harpst’s and Sarah Murphy’s uncompromising determination to fulfill their high callings, we stand here today knowing thousands of lives have been forever changed for the better,” said Scott Merritt, president and CEO. “We can stand in the gap for these children because of the faithfulness and compassion of our board of directors, the MHCC staff and the many donors and partners who answer the call time and again. We are pleased to celebrate this significant milestone and look forward to blazing new trails for healing over the next 100 years.”

The organization will commemorate a century of service Thursday during a gala event in Atlanta made possible by private donors, churches, businesses, volunteers and staff members who have given their time, money and talent to impact the lives of children left scarred by abuse and neglect.

Gov. Brian Kemp issued a commendation recognizing Murphy-Harpst on its centennial anniversary, with other top leaders and legislators also paying tribute to the organization.

“We congratulate the entire Murphy-Harpst team on 100 years of service to Georgia’s most vulnerable children,” said Commissioner Candice Broce of the Georgia Department of Human Services. “The difference they make in our state every day cannot be overstated. Murphy-Harpst has been a trusted partner for DFCS over the decades, and we look forward to continuing to work with them for many years to come.”

Murphy-Harpst’s programs and services provide resiliency, positive coping skills and the tools needed for at-risk children to manage their emotions and succeed when returning to their communities. Recent milestones include:

♦ reaching more than 1,600 children over the last decade;

♦ serving more than 200 youths spread across 50 Georgia counties in fiscal year 2024;

♦ helping three dozen children reunify with family or be adopted into new forever homes over the last 12 months; and

♦ aiding 11 youths who successfully obtained employment in their communities.

Murphy-Harpst continues to innovate, offering new programs to meet critical needs.

An example is the Evolve initiative, a first-of-its-kind program in the Southeast. Four foster youths live in one home anchored by two teams of foster parents, with round-the-clock therapeutic services available. Since launching its first home in Conyers just over a year ago and building three more in Augusta, Murphy Harpst’s team reports that 82% of youths who completed the program reported decreased destructive or self-harming behaviors, with nearly 90% increasing life skills and behavior management capacity.

The organization has also helped children heal and rehabilitate through its equine therapy program. Children who have suffered a variety of traumas and abuse are paired with one of 11 horses on site, with therapy sessions involving activities such as grooming, feeding, riding and groundwork exercises. Studies show equine therapy helps children develop a sense of trust, empathy and self-confidence, while also aiding in healing trauma.

Murphy-Harpst’s official founding dates back to 1924, when Ethel Harpst, a missionary affiliated with the Methodist church, established an orphanage in Cedartown that was initially known as the Harpst Home.

A few years later Sarah Murphy opened a one-room schoolhouse in nearby Rockmart, which later morphed into an orphanage that housed predominantly Black children.

The two entities merged in the 1980s to form the modern-day Murphy-Harpst Children’s Center, with the main campus spread across 160 acres of greenspace in Polk County.