Our Mission

The Center for Children believes that every child in need should have the opportunity to receive quality mental health care. We are dedicated to the prevention and treatment of child abuse and the promotion of positive mental health through crisis intervention, therapy, education, and advocacy.

Our Services

• Crisis intervention
  
• Individual, group, play, & family therapy
  
• Assessment & evaluation of children
  
• Psychological and psychiatric testing
  
• Mentoring
  
• New and teen family support and education
  
• Prevention programs
  
• Information and referral
  
• Community education
  
• Advocacy in the legal system
  
• Case coordination with other agencies
  
• On-call victim service provider
  
• Supervised visitation for non-custodial parents
  
• Case consultation with educators, physicians & other professionals
  

Facts about the Center for Children

• The Center for Children is currently the largest provider of children's mental health services in Southern Maryland.
  
• The Center employs the only child Psychiatrist available to people who are in the public mental health system and currently the only one in Southern Maryland.
  
• The Center for Children served over 3500 individuals in FY 2004, and has served more than 30,000 children and families since its inception in 1989.
  
• The Center for Children serves people of all ages.
  
• The Center is a major resource for schools, pediatricians, Department of Social Services, county health departments, and other youth organizations.
  
• The Center provides the only primary child abuse prevention program targeted specifically at high-risk first-time parents.
  
• The Center provides services to felony and homicide victims to assist them with the trauma that occurs after a crime takes place.
  

History

• 1989: The Center was incorporated as a private non-profit and was awarded the Governor's Victim Assistance Award.
• 1992: The Executive Director was awarded the Governor's Victim Assistance Award.
• 1993: The Juvenile Sex Offender Evaluation program was initiated.
• 1994: The Center became an outpatient mental health clinic licensed by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The Center began its Court Liaison Program for Maryland Victims of Crime.
• 1996: The Center began providing on-call services with the Sheriff's Office to victims of personal injury crimes (i.e., homicide).
• 1997: The Court Appointed Special Advocate Program (CASA) was established.
• 1998: The Center became the only licensed Divorce Education program in the County. The Supervised Visitation Program began. It was the only supervised visitation program in the county and the first in the state of Maryland.
• 1999: The Healthy Families Charles County Program was designed to offer supportive services to new parents including home visits by trained family support workers.
• 2000: The Center was given the Governor's Citation for Excellence for the Friends Indeed Mentoring Program.
• 2001: The Center for Children moved to a new location on Radio Station Road in La Plata, MD.
• 2002: The Center for Children collaborated with FEMA to host Project Restore for the survivors of the F4 La Plata tornado. The Center for Children expanded the CASA program to Charles County. The Center received Federal Funding to mentor children with incarcerated parents.
• 2004: The Center received its third Governor's Victim Assistance Award recognizing outstanding service to victims of violent crime. The Center celebrated its 15th year of service, having assisted more than 30,000 children and families across Southern Maryland during that time.