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Brief History
ECHO was founded in 1889 by a group of Christian women as an orphanage called the Christian Orphan’s Home. Throughout its history, ECHO adapted it services to meet the ever-changing needs of the community. In the 1970s, ECHO worked with the Missouri Children’s Division to create an emergency program that allowed both the city and county police and Missouri Children’s Division to  refer youth to NBA ECHO in crisis situations.
In 1978, the Christian Orphan’s Home changed its name to ECHO/Emergency Children’s Home to reflect its change in services. ECHO continued to develop numerous programs such as residential living, transitional living, and recreational programs to assist vulnerable children and youth. ECHO also provided foster care case management to children and families. However, in May 2008, due to drastic cutbacks in local and state funding, all residential programs were suspended and ECHO redirected its focus to serving the community through a variety of outreach programs – from providing backpacks filled with school supplies for area children, to emergency food supplies for the neighborhood, to putting new winter coats and outerwear on children and youth who otherwise would have, at best, inadequate protection from the winter weather.
ECHO now also works in partnership with numerous other agencies to provide programs and services for the community. Northside Community School, a charter school, is housed on the ECHO campus, as are several other not-for-profit agencies whose missions are geared to providing a better present and future life for the children and youth of the local community.
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