Organizations That Support Children in Franklin and Williamson County, TN
Williamson County, TN, is home to a strong network of nonprofits and community organizations dedicated to supporting children and teens through every stage of development. Across Franklin and the broader county, these organizations work to protect children during times of crisis, provide educational and enrichment opportunities, deliver therapeutic and special needs services, and help stabilize families facing hardship.
Youth Development and Mentoring in Williamson County, TN
Youth development and enrichment organizations provide structured environments outside the school day where children and teens can build skills, explore interests, and form supportive relationships. These programs emphasize mentorship, consistency, and opportunities for personal growth.
FrankTown Open Hearts
FrankTown Open Hearts is a Franklin-based, faith-driven nonprofit serving underserved and at-risk youth in Franklin and South Williamson County. The organization provides mentoring, academic support, and life-skills development for elementary, middle, and high school students, with programming offered after school, in the evenings, and on weekends.
Programming focuses on helping students build confidence, discipline, and practical skills through hands-on learning and positive relationships with adults. FrankTown Open Hearts provides transportation to and from programming and a hot meal during each meeting, removing barriers that might otherwise limit participation.
How to Support: Community members can support FrankTown Open Hearts by volunteering in mentoring, tutoring, skills-based classes, meal support, or special events.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee
Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee provides safe, structured environments for children and teens during critical out-of-school hours. Serving youth ages 5–18, the organization focuses on helping young people reach their full potential through programs centered on academic success, healthy lifestyles, and character development.
Local clubs operate in neighborhood-based facilities and are open after school and during the summer, when children benefit most from consistent supervision and positive engagement. Programs are led by trained youth development professionals, with volunteers supporting enrichment and mentorship activities.
How to Support: Community members can support Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee by volunteering, forming corporate partnerships, and making financial contributions.
YMCA of Middle Tennessee
The YMCA of Middle Tennessee supports children and teens through a wide range of youth-focused programs offered at locations serving Williamson County. These programs include before- and after-school care, youth sports, camps, and teen development initiatives designed to support physical health, social connection, and personal growth.
YMCA youth programs emphasize safe environments, positive adult role models, and opportunities for children to build confidence, leadership skills, and healthy habits both during and outside the school day.
How to Support: The YMCA of Middle Tennessee is supported through volunteer involvement, coaching and mentoring roles, community partnerships, and financial contributions.
Child Advocacy and Protection in Williamson County, TN
These organizations focus on protecting children when abuse or neglect is suspected and ensuring their voices are represented during critical legal and recovery processes. Their work centers on safety, advocacy, and coordinated responses during some of the most difficult moments in a child’s life.
Williamson County CASA
Williamson County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) advocates for the best interests of children who have experienced abuse or neglect and are involved in the juvenile court system. CASA volunteers are appointed by judges and remain engaged with a child’s case until it is closed, providing the court with informed recommendations focused on safety, permanency, and well-being.
CASA accepts every case assigned by the court in Williamson County and serves hundreds of babies, children, and youth each year. While volunteers are not therapists or legal counsel, they often serve as the most consistent adult presence in a child’s life during court proceedings.
How to Support: CASA trains community members to become advocates for children. Volunteers complete required training and background checks and commit to supporting a child throughout their case.
Davis House Child Advocacy Center
Davis House serves as Williamson County’s Child Advocacy Center, providing a coordinated response when child abuse is suspected. The organization brings together law enforcement, child protective services, medical professionals, and counselors in one child-focused setting, reducing the trauma children may experience during investigations.
In addition to forensic interviews, Davis House offers counseling services and ongoing support for children and their non-offending caregivers, helping families navigate recovery after traumatic events.
How to Support: Davis House is primarily supported through financial contributions, which fund forensic interviews, counseling services, family advocacy, and community education efforts.
Foster Care and Residential Support in Williamson County, TN
This group of organizations supports children who cannot safely remain in their homes by providing foster care, residential placements, and long-term stability. Their services focus on safe environments, consistent care, and preparation for permanency and adulthood.
My Friend’s House
My Friend’s House is a group-care facility serving boys ages 12–18 who are in state custody due to abuse, neglect, or family disruption. It is the only facility of its kind in Williamson County and one of only a few across Tennessee. The program provides temporary residential care in a secure, structured, home-like environment with trained staff available 24/7.
Youth at My Friend’s House attend public school, access local health and support services, and follow a consistent daily routine designed to promote stability and healing. The program focuses on individualized behavioral stabilization and works toward reunification with family when possible, or transition to foster care, adoption, or independent living.
How to Support: Community members support My Friend’s House through meal programs such as Chef for the Night, home projects, in-kind donations, and other volunteer opportunities that provide positive adult interaction and practical support for residents.
Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes
Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes (TBCH) provides foster care and residential care for children whose families are unable to meet their needs. Through the George Shinn Foster Care Program, TBCH contracts with the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services to support certified foster families who provide safe, stable homes for children in state custody
TBCH also operates residential care through on-campus homes, including a campus in Brentwood, serving children who are not in state custody but require temporary, structured care. The organization emphasizes family strengthening and works toward reunification when possible, with additional support available for older youth transitioning into adulthood.
How to Support: Community members support Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes through prayer, volunteer service, and financial giving. Volunteer involvement includes supporting residential homes and foster families through activities such as meals, special events, projects, and practical assistance.
Tennessee Children’s Home
Tennessee Children’s Home is a faith-based nonprofit that provides residential care and support services for children and adolescents who need a safe, structured living environment. With campuses across Tennessee, including a location in Spring Hill, the organization serves youth who are displaced, experiencing family instability, or in need of therapeutic intervention.
Services include residential care, on-site education through accredited school programs, counseling and therapy, and substance abuse treatment for adolescents. Tennessee Children’s Home also offers transitional and follow-up support to help youth successfully return to families or move toward independent living.
How to Support: Support typically comes through financial contributions, fundraising efforts, and approved volunteer or group service opportunities that help sustain residential programs and youth services.
Tennessee Alliance for Kids
Tennessee Alliance for Kids (TAK) supports children who are at risk of entering foster care, currently in foster care, or aging out of the system by meeting urgent, tangible needs identified by social workers. Established to fill gaps that government agencies cannot address directly, TAK provides essential items such as clothing, diapers, bedding, toiletries, and comfort supplies through partnerships with the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services and local foster care organizations.
TAK serves children and families in Middle Tennessee, including Williamson County, and works closely with foster families, DCS offices, and partner organizations to respond quickly when needs arise. By addressing immediate material needs, TAK helps reduce additional trauma for children during transitions into or within foster care.
How to Support: Community members support Tennessee Alliance for Kids primarily through financial contributions and by participating in item-based giving initiatives, such as assembling backpacks and supply kits for children entering foster care or youth aging out of the system.
Learning Access and Support in Williamson County, TN
This category highlights support that operates directly within the school environment to remove practical barriers to learning. By addressing immediate needs that affect attendance, participation, and focus, this work helps ensure students can fully engage in the classroom and in school-related activities.
Needs of Our Kids
Needs of Our Kids (N.O.O.K.) supports school staff in the Franklin Special School District and schools across Williamson County by helping ensure students enter the classroom ready to learn. The organization serves as an on-demand resource for school counselors, nurses, and social workers, providing essential items such as clothing, shoes, and hygiene products when a need is identified.
In addition to meeting immediate needs, N.O.O.K. offers Hope Grants that help students participate in extracurricular activities and school experiences, as well as continuing education scholarships for graduating students pursuing college or trade school. These supports are designed to address barriers that can interfere with attendance, participation, and long-term educational success.
How to Support: N.O.O.K. is a 100% volunteer-driven organization. Community members can support its work through financial contributions or by serving as trained Volunteers on Call who respond to school-based requests during the school day.
Therapeutic and Special Needs Services for Children in Williamson County, TN
These organizations support children with physical, developmental, and cognitive needs through therapy, adaptive programs, and specialized services. Their work helps children build independence, confidence, and skills that support daily life and long-term participation in school and community settings.
Saddle Up!
Saddle Up! is a Franklin-based nonprofit that provides equine-assisted services for children and youth with disabilities. Founded in 1989, the organization is the oldest and largest program of its kind in the region and the only one exclusively serving children and youth with disabilities. Saddle Up! operates year-round on its 34-acre farm and is accredited as a Premier Center by PATH International, which sets national standards for safety and quality in equine-assisted programs.
Through therapeutic, educational, and recreational activities involving horses, Saddle Up! supports physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development for participants ages 2 to 26. Programs are led by experienced staff and PATH International–certified instructors, with a focus on safety, individualized goals, and positive growth.
How to Support: Saddle Up! relies on donations and trained volunteers to support riding lessons, horse care, and special events. Volunteers commit to consistent participation and complete required training to ensure safety for riders and horses.
Jordan Thomas Foundation
The Jordan Thomas Foundation supports children and adolescents living with limb loss or limb difference by providing access to the prosthetic devices they need throughout childhood and adolescence. Because children outgrow prostheses every 18–24 months and insurance often does not cover activity-specific limbs, many families face significant financial barriers to care. The foundation works to close those gaps so children can remain active and participate fully in everyday life.
Founded by Jordan Thomas after losing both of his legs as a teenager, the organization also serves as a resource and advocate for families, including efforts to promote greater insurance fairness for pediatric prosthetic coverage.
How to Support: The Jordan Thomas Foundation is supported primarily through financial contributions and community awareness efforts that help ensure children continue to receive prosthetic care as they grow.
High Hopes Development Center
High Hopes is a nonprofit preschool and pediatric therapy provider serving children of all abilities across Middle Tennessee. The organization’s work centers on early childhood education and comprehensive pediatric therapy, supporting children and their families through inclusive, developmentally appropriate care.
High Hopes offers an inclusive preschool program for children from infancy through age five, alongside pediatric therapy services that support children from birth through young adulthood. By integrating education and therapeutic support in a welcoming environment, High Hopes helps children build foundational skills that support learning, independence, and long-term success.
How to Support: High Hopes is supported through community participation, events, and financial contributions that help sustain its educational and therapeutic services.
The Arc Williamson County
The Arc Williamson County supports children and families impacted by intellectual and developmental disabilities by helping them navigate education systems, services, and long-term planning. While the organization serves individuals across the lifespan, a significant part of its work focuses on advocacy and support that helps children access appropriate educational resources and accommodations.
By assisting families in understanding special education processes, disability rights, and available supports, The Arc helps reduce barriers that can prevent students from fully participating in school and reaching their academic potential.
How to Support: Community members can support The Arc’s work through financial contributions, participation in fundraising events, advocacy efforts, and in-kind donations. Those who wish to donate goods can schedule approved items for home pickup. Supporters may also donate a vehicle through The Arc’s vehicle donation program.
Tucker’s House
Tucker’s House is a Franklin-based nonprofit that provides home modifications for families of children and young adults with disabilities, helping create safe, functional, and accessible living environments. Serving families within approximately a one-hour driving radius of Williamson County, the organization addresses a critical gap that often arises when children transition from hospital care to home.
Tucker’s House conducts professional home assessments led by an architectural designer and therapist, develops customized modification plans, and oversees construction and equipment installation. For qualifying families, all approved costs are covered.
How to Support: Community members can support Tucker’s House through financial contributions, which fund home assessments, construction, accessibility equipment, and professional oversight for families who qualify.
Family Stability & Support Services in Williamson County, TN
While not exclusively child-focused, these organizations strengthen family stability through housing, food security, safety, and community coordination. By addressing conditions that affect the home environment, they play an important role in supporting children’s health, development, and overall well-being.
GraceWorks Ministries
GraceWorks Ministries is a Williamson County–based nonprofit founded to address poverty through a coordinated, community-wide approach. Established by local faith leaders and residents, GraceWorks was created to meet a range of needs, including food, clothing, housing support, and financial assistance, under one organization rather than through disconnected services.
GraceWorks provides wraparound support to individuals and families facing financial instability caused by job loss, illness, housing challenges, or seasonal expenses. In addition to direct assistance, GraceWorks operates GraceWorks Thrift in Franklin, where donated goods are sold to the public to support its programs and mission.
How to Support: GraceWorks is funded through donations, thrift store revenue, and community support, with financial contributions helping sustain food assistance, housing support, and family services across Williamson County.
For a deeper look at the organization’s mission, programs, and community impact, read GraceWorks Ministries: Neighbor Serving Neighbor in Williamson County, TN.
One Generation Away
One Generation Away is a nonprofit founded to address food insecurity by rescuing high-quality surplus food and redistributing it to individuals and families in need. Working with grocery stores, restaurants, farms, and caterers, the organization redirects nutritious food that would otherwise go to waste and delivers it directly into communities facing hunger.
Serving Middle Tennessee, including Williamson County, One Generation Away distributes food through mobile pantries and partnerships with schools, shelters, and other local agencies. The organization also provides long-term food support during disaster recovery efforts across the Southeast. Its work is rooted in the belief that no one should have to choose between buying food and covering other essentials like rent, utilities, or medication.
How to Support: One Generation Away is supported through community volunteers and financial contributions. Individuals, families, and groups can help distribute food at Saturday mobile pantries or assist with sorting and packing at the organization’s Franklin warehouse.
To learn more about how the organization addresses food insecurity locally and regionally, read One Generation Away: Fighting Hunger in Franklin and Beyond.
Habitat for Humanity Williamson-Maury
Habitat for Humanity Williamson-Maury is a nonprofit and Christian housing ministry that brings people together to build, repair, and preserve safe, affordable homes. Founded in 1992, the local affiliate has helped build or repair more than 300 homes across Williamson, Maury, Lawrence, Hickman, and Decatur counties, offering families a path to stable homeownership rather than a handout.
The organization supports families through an affordable homeownership program that includes financial education and an accessible mortgage, as well as a Critical Repair program that addresses major safety, accessibility, and weather-related issues so residents can remain in their homes. Habitat for Humanity Williamson-Maury also operates the Habitat ReStore of Williamson County, where donated home goods are sold to support local building efforts.
How to Support: Community members can support Habitat through financial contributions, shopping at or donating to the ReStore, or volunteering on construction sites, at the ReStore, or through committee service.
United Way of Greater Nashville
United Way of Greater Nashville works to unite the community and mobilize resources so that children, individuals, and families can thrive. Serving nine Middle Tennessee counties, including Williamson County, the organization focuses on breaking cycles of poverty, supporting student success, strengthening community health, and helping families meet basic needs such as food, housing stability, and crisis support.
Rather than operating programs directly, United Way invests in and coordinates with trusted nonprofit partners, schools, and agencies to fund and scale solutions that address root causes across education, financial stability, health, and social services.
How to Support: United Way of Greater Nashville is supported through financial contributions, workplace giving campaigns, volunteer engagement, advocacy efforts, and community-wide initiatives such as Days of Action, special events, and service opportunities coordinated with local partners.
Bridges Domestic Violence Center
Bridges Domestic Violence Center is the only domestic violence shelter serving Williamson County. The organization provides confidential, no-cost services to women, men, and children affected by physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, helping survivors move toward safety, stability, and independence.
Services include a 24-hour crisis hotline, emergency shelter at an undisclosed location, case management, court advocacy, child advocacy, support groups, and outreach programs, including bilingual advocacy. Bridges works closely with local law enforcement and community partners and is a member agency of United Way of Greater Nashville.
How to Support: Support for Bridges Domestic Violence Center includes financial contributions, donating new or gently used household items, purchasing needed supplies through the organization’s Amazon Wishlist, and volunteering in roles such as crisis line support, administrative assistance, transportation, and children’s programs.
Supporting Children Across Williamson County, TN
These organizations reflect the many ways Williamson County works to support children, from protecting their safety and advocating for their rights to strengthening education, health, and family stability. Some focus on immediate intervention during times of crisis, while others address long-term needs that shape a child’s ability to learn, grow, and thrive.
Whether you’re seeking information, looking for ways to support local efforts, or simply wanting a clearer picture of how children are served in the community, this overview reflects the network supporting children across Williamson County.
