In 1930, following the abolition of the Wakefield Poor Law Union, the Wakefield Corporation took over responsibility for the administration of poor relief in the city. Unusually, the council's new Public Assistance Committee did not inherit any of the union's children's homes, which all passed into the control of the West Riding County Council. However, Wakefield had an agreement with the county council for use of the homes.

The first children's home to be directly run by Wakefield Council appears to have been Flanshaw Lodge, 192 Flanshaw Lane, which was opened in around 1946. It had fifteen places, with Miss L.E. Frederick as superintendent.

Flanshaw Lodge, Wakefield. © Peter Higginbotham

Following the passing of the 1948 Children Act, councils were required to provide care services for all needy children in their area, especially those who lacked a normal family home. In common with other local authorities, the council established a new Children's Committee, whose responsibilities had previously been spread across separate Health, Education and Social Welfare Committees. Under the new regime, residential care was seen as the least desirable option for children in care, but when it was employed, the recommended size of home was eight children, or twelve at most.

It was not until 1957, however, that the council opened its second children's home, the Kettlethorpe family group home at 123 Kettlethorpe Road, Wakefield, with Mrs M.E. Vaux as what was termed its foster mother.

By 1968, two further family group homes had been opened — the Wasdale Home at 70 Wasdale Road, Flanshaw, and the Dacre Home at 9 Dacre Avenue, Lupset.

In 1968, the Flanshaw Lodge home was taken over by the Church of England Children's Society and became known as Flynn House.

In 1971, local authority children's departments were absorbed into their new social services departments. Following the local government reorganisation that took place in 1974, the new Wakefield Metropolitan District Council took over several homes that had previously been run by the West Yorkshire County Council.

The council's children's establishments in operation in 1975 are listed below.

By 1984, however, more than half of these homes had closed, while three new establishments had been opened. Those then in operation comprised: