Harris Home For Children

Harris Home for Children is a foster care service in Huntsville, AL, dedicated to providing licensed crisis care and long-term residential support for boys. Established in 1954 by Chessie Walker Harris, the organization has operated for seventy-two years as Alabama's only full-time licensed crisis program. It serves vulnerable youth by offering 24/7 shelter, meals, counseling, and stabilization for up to 60 days while the state arranges longer-term placement. The facility also provides family-style residential care for ages 12 to 19, featuring both basic care for rebuilding routines and moderate care with trauma-informed therapeutic support for youth with mental health diagnoses. Additionally, the BOOST! program offers academic support, including after-school tutoring, ACT and SAT preparation, and college readiness, delivered in partnership with tutors from Alabama A&M and UAH.

The organization's history is rooted in the personal conviction of its founder, Chessie Walker Harris, who was born in Tuskegee in 1906 and moved to Huntsville with her husband George. She expanded what began as basic foster services into therapeutic programs, educational support, and life-skills training. By the time of her passing in 1997, more than 1,200 children had called Harris Home theirs. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush presented her with the President's Volunteer Action Award. The current leadership includes Julian Jude, who has served as Executive Director since 2025 and brings two decades of experience in Alabama child welfare. Emmanuel C. James serves as Program Manager, and Emily Burt, LMSW, works as a Social Worker, bringing recent graduate training from Jacksonville State University to the team.

Located at 1210 Church St NW, the facility is situated in a central part of Huntsville. It is about a tenth of a mile from the Madison County Service Center and the Alabama Department of Public Safety. Memorial Parkway Northwest, an interstate, is approximately two-tenths of a mile away. The H.C. Blake Art & History Center, a local museum, is about three-tenths of a mile from the site.

Harris Home for Children stands among the strongest in its category locally. With a rating of 3.20 based on 10 reviews, the organization maintains a steady presence in the community. Its long history of service and specialized focus on boys' crisis care define its role in Huntsville.

For seventy-two years, Harris Home for Children has kept its doors open for Alabama's most vulnerable boys, providing a consistent place of safety and support in Huntsville.