Description:Packington Avenue was a purpose-built home designed as a ‘family group home’ on the newly-built Shard End Estate.
The home was part of a programme of new children’s homes, each built on newly developing housing estates, which were to be small family homes – a move away from the pre-second world war larger children’s homes. These homes were built on the principle of a small ‘family’ unit in a house that looked very much like any other on the estate. The first of these homes was completed in 1951, and a further 11, one of which was on Packington Avenue in 1962, were built over the following eleven years. A second children’s home was built on the same estate at the same time – on Longmeadow Crescent.
Both homes were designed to accommodate eight children and were designed so that houseparents (generally a married couple) would live in the children’s home, with, if they had any, their own children.
The home was initially mainstream and accommodated eight children, both boys and girls, until it closed in that form in 1988/1989. In 1989 its use was changed to be a short-stay residential and day-care unit for children with disabilities.
In 2004, the Council bought the house next door to the children's home and refurbished both buildings to make one, larger children's home.
Packington Avenue closed in 2006.
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Image: The building in 2010, photographed with the kind permission of the current owner.
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Source: This history was compiled by the Birmingham Children's Homes Project, an initiative to explore Birmingham City Council-run children’s homes between 1949 and 1990.