Waterville, Maine — Thursday, April 11, 2024 — The second week of April marks the 125th anniversary of Maine Children’s Home (MCH), the Waterville-based organization that provides child and family-focused services of parent support, mental health counseling, adoption support, and holiday and winter assistance.
On Wednesday, April 10, MCH hosted a gathering for staff, volunteers, board members, and business partners to kick off a year of celebrating this milestone and the community support of MCH’s mission to build and strengthen families.
“We have grown and evolved so much in 125 years to address the most pressing needs of families,” says Executive Director Candace Marriner. “This important work is made possible by the incredible support of our community. We wouldn’t be able to provide our four core programs without the generosity of our donors, partners, volunteers, The Friends of Maine Children’s Home, and our wonderful board of directors. Gratitude will be a major theme of this year for us.”
Founded in 1899 as the Kennebec Valley Home for Children, the Waterville-based organization first opened its doors as a temporary refuge or “home” for children whose families faced difficult times. In 1915, it closed its orphanage, but continued to assist children waiting for adoption, and has since evolved and expanded to address changing needs of Maine children and families.
Today, MCH is a multifaceted organization that provides compassionate and personalized community and office-based support to hundreds of individuals statewide. MCH’s diverse services include young parent support, holiday assistance and winter essentials for families in need, mental health counseling, and family adoption support.
Reflecting on 125 years of service, standout achievements for MCH include its status as the only Hague Accredited adoption organization in Maine, achieved in 2008. This prestigious accreditation underscores the organization’s dedication to upholding the highest standards in international adoption services. It serves as a testament to MCH’s commitment to excellence and professionalism in providing vital support to families navigating the adoption process.
Other achievements include the organization’s 50-year-old young parent support services, Journey Program. Journey Program was established in 1974 and recently expanded to serve a wider age range of young parents to help them gain the knowledge, tools, and skills they need to be academically, financially, and emotionally successful individuals and parents.
“Without Journey Program, my life would have taken a completely different path,” says former Journey Program participant Allison Grady, who graduated from the program in 2017. “Everything would be different. I owe my high school diploma, subsequent opportunities, and even my friendships to the program and guidance from the coordinators. They helped me with literally every obstacle, ever. I don’t think I would have been a good person in society if it wasn’t for their support.”
MCH’s Christmas / Winter Essentials Program has been integral to the organization’s 125-year journey and mission to build and strengthen families in Maine. The program provides brand new clothes, warm outfits, boots, coats, hats, gloves, underwear, toys, books, and games to more than 1,100 Maine children whose families are facing financial hardship each year.
This year, MCH’s Family Counseling Center, which opened in 2018, will move to a newly renovated trauma-informed space that features larger counseling spaces, a sensory room, a physical movement space, a teaching kitchen, and outdoor counseling areas for youth and children. This new space is made possible in part by Senator Angus King’s request to the Appropriations Committee for $525,000 of congressional spending, which was awarded to MCH in 2023 to support the renovation project. The renovation is designed to confront Maine’s mental health crisis and exemplifies the organization's dedication to providing comprehensive support for youth and children in need.
A timeline of MCH’s 125 year history:
- 1899 – Maine Children’s Home begins as an adoption agency in Augusta, Maine, as the Kennebec Valley Home for Children. Maine Children’s Home’s Christmas Program was started on a very small scale around the same time, evolving into the current Christmas / Winter Essentials Program of today.
- 1901 – The Kennebec Valley Home for Children becomes the Maine Children’s Society incorporated.
- 1915 – The Maine Children’s Society closes its orphanage, but continues to assist children waiting for adoptions.
- 1916 – The Maine Branch of New England Home for Little Wanderers opens office on Main Street in Waterville.
- 1962 – The Maine Children’s Society and Maine Branch of the New England Home for Little Wanderers merge to form The Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers (now, Maine Children’s Home).
- 1962 – The Friends of Maine Children’s Home is organized and established as a volunteer organization of The Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers.
- 1972 – The Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers moves to Gilman Street in Waterville.
- 1974 – Teen Parent School, an alternative education program, begins to serve young parents and their babies.
- 2001 – The Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers launches a successful Capital Campaign to purchase and renovate the former Maine Criminal Justice Academy campus and moves from Gilman Street. A special endowment is established to support maintenance and repairs.
- 2002 – The daycare center The Children’s Place becomes a part of Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers.
- 2008 – The Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers becomes the only Hague Accredited adoption organization in Maine, meaning it was evaluated by an accredited organization/entity on standards and practices relating to serving families adopting internationally.
- 2014 – The Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers’ young parent program celebrates 40 years.
- 2015 – The Children’s Place at The Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers receives its National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation.
- 2018 – The Mid-Maine Chamber hosts a ribbon cutting ceremony for The Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers’ Turner Family Counseling Center, now known as Family Counseling Center.
- 2020 – Maine Children’s Home announces that Bright Beginnings Learning Center will be housed on its Silver Street campus.
- 2021 – The Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers’ name is updated to Maine Children’s Home and new logos are designed for the organization and its programs. Maine Children’s Home’s program names were also updated.
- 2022 – Maine Children’s Home’s young parent program expands to serve parents in their early 20s. The program, known as Teen Parent Education Program before this point, is renamed Journey Program.
- 2023 – Senator King’s request for congressional spending of $525,000 approved for updates to Maine Children’s Home’s clinical counseling and mental health facility.
Also in 2023, Maine Children’s Home uses the maintenance endowment to replace the aging siding and lights on campus buildings.
Also in 2023, Maine Children’s Home announces the reopening of free pregnancy options counseling and birth parent support in honor of Birth Mother Day.
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About Maine Children’s Home
Maine Children’s Home (MCH) is a 501(c)(3) organization that offers programs for building and strengthening families and their children, instilling hope for the future and a better quality of life. Founded in 1899, the Waterville-based organization has evolved with the changing needs of families and children, and supports hundreds of people each year through the following programs and services:
Journey Program
Supporting young parents on their path to self-worth and positive parenting
Christmas Program
Sharing joy and winter warmth with kids and families
Family Counseling Center
Guiding toward hope, healing, and wholeness
Family Adoption Program
Providing a lifetime of services for birth parents and adoptive families
More information about MCH’s programs and its history can be found at MaineChildrensHome.org.