urlington United Methodist Family Services, Inc. was founded in 1913 by Dr. F. L. Baker, a Burlington physician, and Mr. F. C. Rollman, a Justice of the Peace and Postmaster from Elk Garden, WV.  The original house (pictured) was known as The Star of Hope Child Refuge, and met the needs of children living in the poor houses and poor farms of the surrounding counties.  This facility was deeded to the agency’s Board of Trustees as an orphanage.  The Star of Hope Refuge became known as the Methodist Children’s Home in 1950, and later changed to its current name to reflect diversity of services.      

The agency has grown throughout the years to become a multi-service agency with sites throughout WV and in Oakland, MD.  The Burlington campus now consists of three residential treatment homes for youth, including a girl’s group home, and an on grounds school.  The first off campus facility, Keyser Boys’ Group Home, was opened in 1985. 

The year 1985 also marked the beginning of an intentional effort to address preventive services, and the agency established community based services.  Current community based services provided by the agency include adoption, foster care, youth services, Right From the Start, family preservation and student intervention.  Agency services are provided from sites in Beckley, Burlington, Charleston, Elkins, Grafton, Fairmont, Keyser, Morgantown and Oakland, Maryland.    

Continued growth occurred at the agency, and in 1995 the former Beckley Child Care Center became an extension of Burlington’s services.  This facility provides residential treatment services, including an on grounds school, and allows for community based services to be provided to West Virginia’s southern counties.

The provision of quality services by dedicated, qualified staff has enabled Burlington United Methodist Family Services, Inc. to become nationally accredited by the United Methodist Association of Health & Welfare Ministries.  This agency awarded Burlington an EAGLE accreditation in 19991.  Burlington also achieved accreditation from the Council on Accreditation (COA) of Services for Families and Children, Inc. in 1997.

Funding for the agency is received through personal, business, church and organizational donations, as well as some funding through the WV Department of Health and Human Resources through purchase of service contracts.  Fundraising and other supportive endeavors are conducted on an ongoing basis by the Public Relations, Development, and Marketing Department.  An annual event on the Burlington campus, Burlington Old Fashioned Apple Harvest Festival, begun by the agency’s volunteer auxiliary in 1974, has become a major attraction in the Potomac Highlands, and major fundraising event, attracting an estimated 40,000 visitors each year.

Today, Burlington United Methodist Family Services, Inc. is one of the largest, most diverse multi-service agencies in the West Virginia, providing services to infants, children, youth and families.