Clara McBride Hale born on April 1, 1905, founded Hale House, a facility for the care of addicted children. Hale was born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a child Hale and her family experienced tragedy when her father passed away forcing her mother to take in lodgers to support her four children. Once Hale graduated high school Clara McBride married Thomas Hale and moved to New York City. Together the couple had two children, Nathan and Lorraine, and adopted Kenneth. Thomas would pass away forcing Hale to support her family as a domestic worker.
Hale would later develop a love for neglected and abandoned children. In the 1940s Hale would start providing short-term and long-term care for children. She would found permanent housing for homeless children and taught parents essential parenting skills. In 1960 Hale became a licensed foster parent, giving care for hundreds of children in her home. Hale’s earned the nickname “Mother Hale” for her care for children.
In 1969, at the age of 64, Hale became the foster parent to an infant addicted to cocaine. She responded to this by creating a groundbreaking foster care program in Harlem, called Hale House. The program also provided training to drug-addicted mothers on how to improve the health of their babies. Hale’s program required mothers to live in Hale House with their children and go to drug rehab. In the 1980s, Hale expanded her services to include care for infants stricken with HIV or lost parents to AIDS.
In 1991, Hale House cared for approx. 1,000 infants and toddlers. Hale would receive various honors and awards for her community service. Hale got an honorary doctorate from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and public service awards from the National Mother’s Day Committee and the Truman Award for Public Service. In 1985, during President Ronald Reagan State of the Union Address, he referred to Hale as an “American hero” for her commitment to at-risk children. At the age of 87, Clara Hale died on December 18, 1992, in New York City.
Sources:
http://www.halehouse.org; Ron Alexander, “Chronicle,” New York Times, 26 Aug. 1994: 4; Diane Camper, “Mother Hale’s Lasting Gift,” New York Times, 24 Dec. 1992: A16.
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