Youth and Family Outreach has a rich, unwavering history of serving some of Portland's most disadvantaged children and families. Since its origins in 1844 as a community outreach mission of the Portland Ministries at Large, the agency has focused its efforts on a compassionate mission to serve the poor.

Starting in 1853 with the establishment of Maine's first adult education school, to the Pride Training School for mentally retarded children, to a credit union for the local poor, to the Beacon Teen Center for homeless youth, the agency has risen to meet critical community needs of the time. All of this was made possible through the generosity of Mary Deering Preble who donated land and funds for the construction of a chapel to the Portland Ministry and First Parish Society of Portland. The only condition was that this facility, which was completed in 1852, would always welcome and serve the needs of the local poor. The mission continues on this site to this very day.

In 1979 the Portland Ministries at Large filed for nonprofit status and was granted independent status from the First Parish to conduct its outreach mission. In 1984 the agency began focusing its attention on social services for inner city youth. In 1994 the Portland Ministries at Large filed to carry out its business as Youth and Family Outreach.

The agency currently offers two programs. The Preble Learning Center, established in 1986, is a licensed and nationally accredited early child care center offering services primarily to teen and low income parents with children 6 weeks to five years of age. Teen Adventure, a mentoring program for at-risk youth, was started in 1984 and has evolved over the years to offer outdoor learning experiences to middle school students of Greater Portland.