Lullaby Guild Mission

The mission of the Lullaby Guild is to reach out to children and their families at risk with a range of services and resources that ensure every child the opportunity to develop within a safe, healthy, and secure environment.

 Lullaby Guild History

In the fall of 1949, the Children's Home Society (CHS), a statewide licensed adoption agency was faced with a seemingly insurmountable.  In their care were 50 African American children residing in foster homes, with no prospective adopting families.  In a last ditch effort, before abandoning the program, Anita Rose of CHS contacted Mr. Joseph Walker, Director of the Urban League, sharing the seemingly lost cause.

Mr. Walker then visited CHS and then asked for the opportunity to help before they abandoned the program. Under his leadership the Urban League mounted and intensive campaign contacting community leaders, newspapers, churches and organizations.  Among those contacted was Laura Slayton, an outstanding community leader.  Without hesitation she convened a group of her friends and associates establishing The Lullaby Guild. 

Early in 1950 they held their first meeting.  These pioneering women met, strategized, and with steadfast conviction in their cause, began to find homes for the African American children.  Then, noting the challenges faced by the foster parents that began to transport parents and children to and from their clinic visits in their own cars.  Funds were needed to promote and expand the programs of the Children's Home so Guild members deepened their involvement through fundraising projects donating all proceeds.  During the 1970s the most urgent need was no longer adoptive homes: Teen pregnancy -- children bearing children became the focus.  Again, in 1979, the Lullaby Guild stepped forward developing and educational program called Human Maturity that addressed the problem of teen pregnancy.  Collaborating with the Los Angeles Unified School District, Guild members wrote and helped implement the project.  Directly involving themselves with teens, members taught classes and interacted with the students.  Today, this program, often referred to as the “Egg Project,” is utilized in many LAUSD schools.

The goal of current fundraising effort is to provide resources to enhance the support of children and their families.  Currently, we have the following programs: The “Teddy Bear Project” to aid developmentally handicapped children; Thanksgiving Day meals for families; financial support to purchase luggage for youth leaving the foster care system; Holiday gifts for children and their families; a financial contribution for children who were victims of the devastating hurricane Katrina, SAT/ACT Workshops for high school students, Life Skills for Youth Project which provides assistance to youth in foster care and lastly, the Larry McCormick Memorial Scholarship awarded to a college junior pursuing a career in broadcasting.

mail@lullabyguild.org