Sheltering Arms Early Education & Family Centers

Specialties

Sheltering Arms provides high quality early education and childcare for children ages 6 weeks to 5-​years old. We have 16 centers located throughout metro Atlanta. We offer after school care up to 7 years of age. We also provide a comprehensive set of training classes for early education professionals throughout Georgia. If you are interested in knowing more about our centers or training program, please refer to our website.

History

Established in 1888.

In 1888, a group of Atlanta women formed a sewing circle at the First United Methodist Church’s John Barclay Mission to mend the clothing of street children. While delivering clothes one day, the women discovered a child tied to a bedpost as a safety measure while her mother worked long hours in the cotton mills. Determined to help these children, the women began to care for them at the mission. An old railroad box car served as the first «center.» The second consisted of borrowed space in a local bar.

Inspired by the spirit of Roberto Ferruzzi’s painting, Madonna of the Street, the women chose the name Sheltering Arms in 1890 for their child care work. Madonna of the Street now hangs in our downtown Atlanta headquarters. From the beginning, the founders knew the value of supporting the families of the children who came to Sheltering Arms.