After more than a century of providing residential care for children, the Cumberland Presbyterian Children’s Home—now known as Cumberland Youth and Family Services (CYFS)—officially closed its child residential program on April 10, 2025. The move reflects a broader shift in foster care policy away from institutional group homes toward family-based care.
Founded in 1904 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, as the Cumberland Presbyterian Orphan’s Home, the institution was one of only a few to remain Cumberland Presbyterian after the partial union with the PCUSA in 1906. The home relocated to Denton, Texas, in 1934 and became a vital resource for vulnerable children and families. Over the decades, it evolved to meet the changing needs of the child welfare system, offering a range of services beyond orphan care. The April decision ends one of CYFS’s five major programs, but allows the organization to expand its reach.
Rather than housing sixteen children on campus, CYFS will now support up to 50 children in family-based foster homes and continue offering its Supervised Independent Living (SIL) program for young adults aging out of foster care. Other continuing services include the Family Residential Program, Foster Care and Adoption Program, and Community Counseling.
“This was a difficult and bittersweet decision,” said CYFS President and CEO Courtney Banatoski. “But it allows us to better align with current best practices in child welfare and expand the number of lives we can impact.”
The name change from Cumberland Presbyterian Children’s Home to Cumberland Youth and Family Services, first announced in 2022, highlights the agency’s expanded mission. The closure of the residential program marks the end of an era in orphan care, but CYFS continues to honor its legacy through innovative, community-focused service grounded in faith and compassion.
