History

Transforming California’s System of Care for 150 Years

Uplift Family Services has evolved over 150 years to deliver the most visionary behavioral health services to California’s children and their families. We began in 1867 as Eastfield Home of Benevolence, a San Jose orphanage, and Ming Quong Presbyterian Mission Home, an orphanage for Chinese girls who had been rescued from slavery. In 1880, Hollygrove was founded in downtown Los Angeles as the Los Angeles Orphans Home Society.

Today, we are one of the most comprehensive, innovative, family-centered treatment programs providing services to over 30,000 children and their families annually throughout 30 counties in California.

Milestones

1867	Eastfield Home of Benevolence founded in San Jose.
1874	Ming Quong Presbyterian Mission Home founded in San Francisco.
1880	Hollygrove founded in downtown Los Angeles as the Los Angeles Orphans Home Society.
1910	Hollygrove moves to its current location in Hollywood.
1935	Norma Jean Baker (Marilyn Monroe) comes to live at Hollygrove. Ming Quong opens another orphanage for younger girls in the hills of Los Gatos.
1950s	Hollygrove provides residential services for abused and neglected children removed from their families by court order.
1953	Ming Quong enrolls boys and needy children of all races and becomes independent of the Presbyterian Church.
1987	Eastfield & Ming Quong merge (Eastfield Ming Quong), later to be called EMQ Children & Family Services.
1994	EMQ launches California’s first Wraparound program (in partnership with the county departments of Social Services, Juvenile Probation and Mental Health).
1999	EMQ acquires San Jose-based child sexual abuse treatment pioneer Giarretto Institute and begins providing Wraparound services in the Sacramento area.
2002	EMQ expands into Southern California, opening a Wraparound program in San Bernardino County.
2004	Mental Health Services Act (Prop 63) passes in California making Wraparound available to children.
2005	Hollygrove closes its residential program to concentrate on community-based mental health services.
2006	Hollygrove and EMQ merge.
2009	EMQ and FamiliesFirst merge to create EMQ FamiliesFirst. CEO Jerry Doyle retires after 39 years and Darrell Evora is named President/CEO.
2016	EMQ FamiliesFirst becomes Uplift Family Services.
2017	We celebrate our 150th anniversary.