Abagael Adair spoke to the club as Senior Manager of Philanthropy for the The Children’s Center. The Children’s Center was formed in 1929 and is located in Midtown Detroit. It is home to many specialized clinical services, leading the way in working with children who struggle with behavioral, emotional, educational, intellectual, and developmental challenges or may have experience trauma. It examines barriers in the home, school, and community, working with the family who raises them and the organizations that support them.
Its programs/services are broken down into four categories: (1) Healthy Start – addresses autism, parent-child interactions, and pregnant moms; (2) Healing the Hurt – offers clinical, medical, and crisis care; (3) A Safe Home – provides foster care and adoption services and a young adult (16-21) self-sufficiency program; (4) Bridging the Gap – offers a boutique with clothing, toys, and household items, a food pantry, a library, and activity rooms for elementary, middle school, and high school students.
Ms. Adair read a very moving testimonial from a 28-year-old police officer who was physically and mentally abused by his mother and grandmother as a child but was saved by the Children’s Center and the foster care system. The police officer now teaches other officers how to recognize signs of abuse.
The Center’s $20 million budget is funded through Medicaid, State money, and private donations. To learn more, please go to www.thechildrenscenter.com.