There Must Be A Better Way

PATH traces its beginnings to a small group with an innovative idea. Three Twin Cities couples – Burt and Nan Galaway, Bob and Anita Berg, and Dr. Paul and Mary Olson were the first PATH board and are credited for the original concept that formed the agency. Burt, a member of the social work staff at the University of Minnesota, is generally regarded as the primary catalyst in forming the agency. Dr. Olson was a psychologist; Mary Olson and Nan Galaway were social workers. The Bergs were experienced administrators.

The motivation to create a new social service organization came from several directions. The underlying belief was that a new kind of foster care service was needed to provide quality care to some of the very challenging children coming into the child welfare system.

The group thought better care for children could be achieved through focusing on a small segment of children and training foster parents to meet the special needs of those children.