The Big Picture: History, Vision and Mission
How It All Began Originally founded in Malibu, California in 1977 as Free Arts Clinic, Free Arts for Abused Children was born out of the determination of two women who knew well the inherent therapeutic value of the arts.
Carolyn Sargent, a woman who, as a child, used art to emerge from the sadness and isolation of hearing loss, and Elda Unger, an aspiring art therapist, saw the need for abused children in foster care to have meaningful engagement with art. By conducting art workshops, Carolyn and Elda gave the gift of creative self-expression to children in need of positive outlets for their experiences.
 Growing Programs When Free Arts opened its doors, we conducted a single program at a residential facility. As Free Arts grew, thousands of children participated in Free Arts Days and soon thereafter the Weekly Volunteer Program.
In 1993, the organization began coordinating art activities in the waiting areas of the Edmund D. Edelman Children's Court in Monterey Park, a courthouse dedicated exclusively to children's issues. They handle an average of 50,000 cases a year involving child abuse, neglect, and abandonment. These activities developed into the Courthouse Program, providing children who were waiting for their court proceedings the opportunity to explore their creativity. This program continued to grow in 2000 as we were invited into the Children's Chambers at the Lameroux Justice Center in Orange County, and then in 2009 as we expanded to the McCourtney Juvenile Justice Center in Lancaster. Free Arts also introduced the Parents and Children Together with Art (PACT) Program in 1994. This program is designed to help families in crisis bond and learn new and effective ways to communicate.
Today, Free Arts has four thriving cornerstone programs, each of which relies heavily on the dedication of community volunteers who use art as a bridge to connect with vulnerable children.
Reaching Out Around the Country Free Arts for Abused Children is the legacy organization for a group of four Free Arts affiliates across the county. After many successful years in Southern California, several volunteers and supporters who had moved from the area expressed interest in beginning similar programs in their regions.
Over the years, the Free Arts model has been adopted in other regions of the country, giving rise to the current independent affiliate organizations in Arizona, Minnesota, and New York City.
Out of respect for our founders, we have chosen to keep the name that reflects their original intention: Free Arts for Abused Children. However, in conversations with volunteers, partner agencies, and other supporters, we often go simply by “Free Arts”, and this is always the intention for interactions with children and families participating in programs.  |
  
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