Elizabeth House opened its doors on June 11, 1968. It was the initiative of the Anglican, United and Presbyterian Churches, in response to a new awareness of the need for support services to young pregnant anglophone women, that resulted in these communities developing, planning and taking financial responsibility for Elizabeth House. The objectives of Elizabeth House were to provide these young women with shelter and the opportunity to continue their education in an environment that was rehabilitative and which sheltered them from the social and moral embarrassment of unwed motherhood. These young women, after relinquishing their babies for adoption, would return to their relatively stable and healthy homes.

In 1973 Elizabeth House was transferred from the jurisdiction of the church community to the Ministry of Social Affairs (M.A.S.). The social climate at the time was characterized by a new acceptance of unwed mothers in the community, an increase in the availability of abortions and the increased use of birth control. As such, many of Elizabeth House's clients were choosing to keep their babies and many no longer came from stable families. One result was that these young women often had no home to which they could return after the birth of their child. In response, Elizabeth House instituted the Mother and Baby program which enabled young women to pursue their education and offered them extensive support as they assumed their new role as parent and provider. Also, as did many other organizations offering a similar program, Elizabeth House introduced a house-parent model in the residential program. In 1974, the Ministry of Education and the Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal (PSBGM) drew up an agreement that provided funding for the operation of Elizabeth High School.

By the late 1970's, 80% of the young women at Elizabeth House were choosing to keep their babies. As a result, the need for residential services increased. Day care and nursery services had to be provided for the clients attending the school program. It became apparent that there was also a need for counseling and support services for former residents of Elizabeth House. A growing number of clients in residence were from lower economic backgrounds and the young women were coming from more diverse ethnic origins. This continued into the next decade.

The 1980's brought a renewed emphasis on providing services to youth within a systemic framework. The focus was on reintegrating clients with their families and on viewing young people in their entire social context - at school, at work, in the community and with peers. The trend in the field was to move away from residential treatment. Elizabeth House, however, continued to maintain its focus on residential services although an informal support network to former residents developed over the years.

In the early 1990's a new executive director worked to establish guidelines, policies, and treatment methods that were in accordance with the orientations of the Ministry of Health and Social Services. Three workgroups - Bouchard, Harvey and Jasmin- set up by the Ministry, worked to find new ways to better adapt services to youth and their families. This resulted in an action plan geared to prevention, support to parents and childhood development.

The Health and Social Services network in Montreal and across the province was undergoing major transformation and re-orientation. It was favoring prevention programs and support in the community rather than residential treatment. The Montreal Regional Board of Health and Social Services undertook a wide consultation on the reorganization of the Health and Social Services system on the Island of Montreal. A first plan, L'atteinte d'un nouvel équilibre was developed and implemented.

The clients of Elizabeth House had become younger and more problematic. They exhibited, to varying degrees, low self-esteem, poor communication skills, learning disabilities, lack of trust in adults, difficulty in delaying gratification, short attention span, aggressive and acting-out behaviors. Many lacked emotional stability, had substance abuse problems and histories of abuse and violence.

Elizabeth House was evolving as a rehabilitation center with a strong external service component. Individual service and intervention plans were being developed with each client. Goals and objectives were aimed at empowering young women to achieve their fullest potential and effectively assume responsibility for their own development, while experiencing success in achieving their goals as individuals and as mothers. Housemothers were replaced with resident supervisors and the length of the residential stay was shortened. Baby fathers, parents, grandparents and babies, all with a new role to play in the new family, were becoming recognized as clients of Elizabeth House. An external service position was established to begin to shift the focus from residential care to helping clients build community support networks, autonomy and independence. Funds were transferred from auxiliary to clinical services to develop the Day Center/school program and other programs in support of the growing number of external (non-residential) clients. The PSBGM teachers and the Director of Rehabilitation and Professional Services (DPRS) began to conduct joint intake assessments for those clients wishing to attend the High School program. The Board of Directors explored with the PSBGM the possibility of relocating the school program off-site.

During this time, the Montreal Regional Board of Health and Social Services was pursuing its own objectives. Its new plans, described in a document entitled "Accent on Access", included establishing an integrated organization of services for youth, young adults and their parents aimed at ensuring that children from 0-18 years of age and their parents had access to psychosocial counseling services 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. It also sought to promote integrated inter-sectoral strategies to develop activities in a service continuum from prevention to social reintegration.

Elizabeth House, as part of the growing trend towards developing and maintaining community links reached out to collaborate with other organizations serving young parents (Batshaw Youth and Family Centres, CLSC's, the YMCA's Teenage Mothers Service to name a few). New organizational as well as service delivery partnerships were forged; existing ones were strengthened.