Murphy/Harpst Childrens Centers Inc

About Murphy/Harpst Childrens Centers Inc

Murphy-Harpst Children’s Centers is a Christian nonprofit based in Cedartown, Georgia, serving abused, neglected, and at-risk children and young adults up to age 21 through residential treatment, specialized foster care, and community-based group homes. They trace their roots to 1924, when Methodist missionary Ethel Harpst opened a children’s home. Sarah Murphy ran a separate home that later became part of the same legacy. Their 160-acre main campus in the foothills of Northwest Georgia houses about 75 young people working through severe trauma, behavioral challenges, and mental health needs. Children are placed with them through the Division of Family and Children Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Office of Refugee Resettlement rather than by families directly.

On campus, residents receive individual, group, and family therapy matched to their trauma history and behavioral needs. That clinical work is paired with recreation, art, music, and animal-assisted therapies. One distinctive feature is an on-site equine-assisted psychotherapy program with nine horses, and residents also attend Murphy-Harpst Academy, an accredited campus school whose credits transfer, with the chance to move into community schools as they progress. Faith is woven into daily life through spiritual development opportunities. Young adults ages 18 to 21 can join a Transitional Living Program to build independent living skills, while EVOLVE homes across the state provide full-time therapeutic care for four children at a time, with the goal of stepping down to a foster, kinship, or lower-level placement within 9 to 12 months.