Founded
The Lincoln Center for Family and Youth (TLC) began in 1970 as a small education and consultation department within Eagleville Hospital, funded through a National Institute of Mental Health grant. What started as a drug and alcohol prevention initiative quickly expanded to meet broader community needs. By 1983, this growth led TLC to become an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit. This marked the beginning of its ongoing, five-decade evolution into a multifaceted organization serving children, families, and communities across the region.
1970
TLC was founded in 1970 as the Department of Consultation and Education of Eagleville Hospital. Funded by a National Institute of Mental Health grant, the department focused on drug and alcohol prevention through educational programs for students and occasional in-service training for school personnel.
1973
TLC began school-based counseling services in 1973 when the organization placed its first counselor at Keith Valley Middle School in Horsham, PA.
1975
TLC opened the Montgomery County Community Day School (MCCDS), a day treatment program providing counseling and educational services for troubled youth who would otherwise face institutionalization.
1978
TLC established the Family Resource Center under a grant from the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect as a counseling center for at-risk individuals and families experiencing high levels of stress or suffering from abuse.
1981
MCCDS partnered with Norristown Area School District and formed the Lincoln Academy, named by its students. It opened in the fall of 1981 with 35 students. Eagleville Hospital combined four programs and renamed the combined unit “Family and Youth Programs.” The four programs included: · Community Education and Prevention Services · Vocational Counseling and Education Services · Family Resource Center · Lincoln Academy
1983
TLC separated from Eagleville Hospital and incorporated as The Lincoln Center for Family and Youth, a 501(c)(3) organization.
1987
TLC received its first grant from the Crime Victims Fund. The grant allows The Lincoln Center to offer free mobile counseling and outreach to Montgomery County crime victims from ages five and older, and since the program began, TLC has served thousands of clients.
2018
TLC started its College and Career Readiness Center, funded by a Department of Education GEAR UP grant, to provide wrap-around services to at-risk middle and high school students in the Norristown Area School District.
2020
TLC began providing Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) services, an evidence-based three-tiered framework aimed at providing interventions and support strategies that meet specific needs for all students to succeed.
2021
TLC was awarded its first STOP School Violence grant through the U.S. Department of Justice. Through this funding, TLC provided trauma-informed and restorative practices training, as well as threat assessment consultation services, to school districts to support school safety and student well-being.
2022
TLC received a Justice Assistance Grant, expanding its work to provide trauma-informed training for law enforcement personnel. This grant-funded initiative highlighted a growing need for specialized support services, leading to the launch of TLC’s Responder Support Services, which offers trauma-informed coaching, training, and wellness support to law enforcement, correctional agencies, and first responders.
2023
TLC expanded its geographic reach, delivering education, mental health, and community-based services throughout the greater Midwest and East Coast.
2024
TLC opened TLC Wellness, an insurance-based therapy practice providing personalized, evidence-based mental health services for children, teens, adults, and families. TLC Wellness was established to meet the increasing demand for accessible, high-quality mental health care.
2025
Building on more than 50 years of experience in education, coaching, and counseling, TLC launched FlutterBy Press to translate its expertise into books and practical tools for the broader public, further advancing its mission of transforming lives.