Through seven major community centers and public policy advocacy, Metropolitan serves low-income and working poor families.
Several of the committee members, such as Isaac N. Arnold, Mark Skinner, John Kinzie, Philip J. Wardner, and Joseph D. Webster, became national figures.
As United Charities, the organization became more active in the community in promoting progressive public policies and addressing health issues such as the Mothers Pension Law Act of 1911.
By the 1950s, more attention was focused on "multi-problem" families who struggled with complex social issues, difficult spousal and parent-child relationships, economic housing pressures and mental illness.
A major effort to address long term concerns about the agency's name and image cumulated in 1995 with the changing of the name from United Charities to Metropolitan Family Services (MFS).
The same year, MFS began operating a Head Start early childhood education program though its Midway Center to serve more than 100 children ages 3 and 4.