Oakland Family Services history

In 1924-25, the Elks added a large addition that essentially doubled the building in size and created a new entrance and lobby facing Orchard Lake Road.

Brigitte was born in Germany in 1935 and grew up during World War II.

As Lassie remembers Brigitte telling it, Russians confiscated her family’s home in Dresden in 1945.

The two married in 1958, but Justin died young, leaving Brigitte to raise their three children.

Oakland Family Services first received its license to treat substance abuse in 1972.

Parham has worked for the agency since 1978 and now holds the position of human resources coordinator.

The combined agency’s name was changed to Oakland Family Services in 1984, the same year the current Pontiac location on Orchard Lake Road was purchased.

“The Elks came up with a tremendous community donation in this,” said Sylvia Ashton, then-director of Development for Oakland Family Services, in an April 1988 Oakland Press article.

By February 1989, the agency had raised $829,486 toward that goal, thanks in part to a $250,000 challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation, a $100,000 grant from United Fund of Detroit and a $100,000 grant from the Skillman Foundation.

The agency’s Pontiac Children’s Learning Center opened its doors in 1990 to offer both tuition-based early childhood programs and free, state-funded preschool through the Michigan School Readiness Program.

One important addition was the Fussy Baby program, a one-of-a-kind home-visiting service that launched in 1992 and is still running 29 years later.

The Farmington office had been acquired through a 1996 merger with the Farmington Area Advisory Council, a substance use treatment program that had more of a grassroots feel to it, Mison said.

Lynd said this transition was complete by the time she was hired as a therapist in 1997.

One area where the agency’s three areas of focus blend together is the Project Recovery Intensive Services for Mothers (PRISM), which launched in 1998.

Lynd went on to become the manager of the Pontiac site in late 1999 and oversaw the development of Project Recovery Intensive Services for Mothers (PRISM), an intensive substance use disorder program that focuses on the specific needs of mothers in recovery.

Preschoolers smile with former Oakland Family Services President and CEO Michael Earl at the Pontiac Children’s Learning Center in 2001.

Oakland Family Services preschoolers enjoy a field trip to the Detroit Zoo in 2002.

Oakland Family Services’ former office in Farmington is pictured in 2003.

Oakland Health is a family-owned and operated health care agency established in 2004.

Children’s Learning Center students celebrate their graduation from preschool in 2007.

A major shift began around 2008, when funding changes and the economic downturn resulted in program cuts at Oakland Family Services and in the community, said Natalie Marchione, vice president of Quality and Planning.

Oakland Family Services’ Early Learning Communities launched in 2009, making it one of the agency’s newer programs.

Parents as Teachers was launched in 2010 and helps children at risk for school failure, abuse and neglect by involving families with children age 0-6 in activities that encourage language, social and emotional development.

A more recent addition to the agency’s Prevention lineup is Before 3 to Succeed, which launched in 2013 and aims to route families to an assessment that helps to identify potential developmental delays, and in the case they exist, connects children to key services.

“The expansion of our GSRP programming in 2014-15 was a significant undertaking,” Kasperski said. “That building was gutted and redone.

Preschoolers play at the Walled Lake Children’s Learning Center in 2015.

Staff celebrate Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day in 2016 at Oakland Family Services’ Pontiac office.

Staff celebrate Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day in 2017 at Oakland Family Services’ Pontiac office.

Stephanie Noga, supervisor of Day One’s Berkley office, sits with a client in 2018.

Preschoolers enjoy the natural playground at the Pontiac Children’s Learning Center in 2019.

A mother and daughter check out items in the Early Learning Communities’ Lending Library in Walled Lake in January 2020.