The Children’s Center has provided specialized programs to young children with disabilities for over 50 years. The agency provides a continuum of care simply not offered in this format anywhere else in the region. The Children’s Center provides services through our primary facility in Augusta as well as our programs in Farmington, Skowhegan, and Waterville to serve the greater Kennebec, Franklin, and Somerset counties.

The organization offers early intervention programs to young children ages birth through five with special needs, including inclusive early education, pediatric therapies, and specialized programs for children with autism spectrum disorders, mental health diagnoses, and global delays. The agency also provides family support programs like targeted case management, community-based behavioral health professionals, and parent and provider education programs in order to assist caregivers in meeting the needs of their children.

The Children’s Center’s vision is a world where communities, families, and caregivers join together to create nurturing environments in which all children are embraced as unique, valued individuals. The mission of the Children’s Center is to meet the needs of all children by offering quality programs that encourage individual growth, provide support for their families, and promote inclusion of all children in the community.

We believe that children are unique individuals who learn best through creative play. We believe that children thrive when given the opportunity to develop social, emotional, and physical skills within an environment that provides peer interactions, nurturing adults, and developmentally appropriate materials.

We believe family members are the most important people in a child’s life. We believe families are entitled to support in identifying their options and resources in accordance with their lifestyles and personal values. We believe that families, professional staff, and the community can work together to support children as they grow.

What we have learned is that all children benefit from an inclusive experience because children learn best from other children. Children with special needs learn naturally and effectively from peers. Children who are typically developing learn empathy and better communication skills when they are around children with different abilities.