Children's Center

After a temporary move to the Old Hill Mansion on State Street, Kennebec County officials designed and built a facility at our current location on Alden Avenue, using state and federal funds designated to serve individuals with multiple disabilities. The doors to the new building opened on December 2, 1978. 

During this time the organization also offered a pre-vocational program, provided support and assisted adults with skill development for the activities of daily living. The Pleasant Street House was a short-term independent living program that served adults from 1978 until 1989.

In 1981, programs providing therapeutic and educational services to children from birth to three years of age were introduced.  In 1990, in response to decreasing numbers of school-aged children due to successful efforts to mainstream children with special needs into public school programs, the organization started exclusively serving children from birth to age five.  In that year, the organization also changed its name to "Children's Center: Early Intervention and Family Support" to more accurately reflect its changing mission and programs.

In 1989, the Children's Center added the Respite program as a support service to the parents and caregivers of children with special needs. The program grew quickly and a full time coordinator was hired to manage the program in 1991.  In collaboration with Woodfords Family Services and United Cerebral Palsy of Northeastern Maine, the Children's Center developed state-wide respite provider training and recruitment strategies that have enhanced the program's capacity to meet families' needs.  The Therapeutic Recreation program began in 1990, administering state funding for children to participate in activities that help them develop long-lasting skills.

In 1994, the Children's Center formed a collaborative with the Southern Kennebec Child Development Corporation to create the First Friends program. This program joined children in the Head Start program with children with special needs. This collaborative program contributed to the development of children by offering the benefits of an inclusive environment.  Today, the Children's Center strives to provide all of the children served with an inclusive experience, and offers developmental and occupational therapy to children at Head Start programs in the community.   

  In 2000, the Targeted Case Management program was created to assist parents as they work through the range of emotions and maze of services they experience as parents of a child with special needs. In 2001, the Children's Center opened an office for the Targeted Case Management program in the Federated Church in the town of Skowhegan, allowing the program to serve both Kennebec and Somerset Counties.

In 2005, a grant from the United Way of Mid Maine provided the Children's Center the opportunity to begin offering educational workshops for parents and caregivers of children with special needs in Kennebec and Somerset Counties.  The Parent Education program expanded with a grant from the Maine Children's Trust in 2007 to include more intensive training for parents of children with autism and/or severely challenging behaviors through collaboration with Maine General.

  Offering additional and expanded services resulted in a space crunch. In 1996, a mobile unit was added to the location for additional office space as an interim measure while the organization explored the possibility of expansion. When the lease expired for the mobile unit in 2000, the Respite and Finance programs moved to an office in Manchester and then in 2001, those administrative and home visitor staff members moved to an office at 99 Western Avenue in Augusta. During this time, the Center conducted a feasibility study to determine its ability to raise funds to renovate and expand the building.

  With a positive finding from the feasibility study, in 2001 Kaye and David Flanagan provided leadership and worked with a dedicated group of community members to conduct a capital campaign to raise 1.5 million dollars. As the result of their hard work and the generous support of the community, in May of 2003 the Children's Center officially cut the ribbon on the newly renovated and expanded building.  

  In 2007, work on a fully accessible playground was completed. Features of this playground include a unique 30 foot long water feature, a canopy for shade, a lobster boat for imaginative play and CedarWorks play structures. A donor wall to honor contributors was installed on the side of the building overlooking the playground. A playground expansion project began in 2008 to include an "Enchanted Forest" and more Maine-themed structures, with a completion goal of June, 2009.

  As a result of the Center's shift to provide an inclusive experience for children in 2003, the Department of Education's Child Development Services changed the Center's classification from a special purpose program to an inclusive program. This shift in focus to better serve children with identified needs by including all children was expanded through the decision to offer child care in the fall of 2008.

  No longer operated by volunteers, today the Center's highly skilled staff of 62 individuals provides an array of services including: developmental evaluations; developmental therapy in group and individual sessions; occupational, physical and speech evaluations and therapies; coordination of respite and recreation services; parent education, and case management services. Most of the Center's staff has earned college degrees and several have advanced degrees.

  The Children's Center is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Well known for high quality, comprehensive services, the Center is a popular site for college student observations, practicums and internships. Children's Center staff members also serve as consultants to area preschools and public schools, and offer community workshops on various topics related to children with special needs.  The Children's Center continues to be a valuable resource across central Maine with its highly skilled staff and commitment to families. We look forward to continuing our work within the community to provide quality programming and services to children and their families.