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For children and youth who are referred to Cunningham Children’s Home, the world feels like a terribly unsafe place. Most have experienced severe abuse, neglect, and other traumatic life events. Some were born with neurological problems that make everyday interactions seem deeply threatening. In their struggle to survive, they often revert to extreme fight-or-flight behavior – lashing out irrationally, running away, or attempting to harm themselves in order to make the pain and fear go away.
As children and teen-agers, Cunningham children and youth are at a critical growth point in their lives when therapeutic intervention can make a huge difference in the path their lives will take. We can not promise that every youth will choose the right path, but with the right therapeutic tools and highly-trained staff, we can light the way towards a brighter future.
In 2001, the Cunningham Children’s Home Board of Directors approved a plan to radically transform the Cunningham campus and create living and learning environments where residents are provided with therapeutic experiences 24 hours a day, every day. Our new 23,700 square foot Residential Treatment Center is a major step forward in providing a safer and more effective treatment environment.
The Center includes three self-contained residential cottages and a clinical and health services wing. Each residential cottage unit provides living quarters for up to 10 children, and each child has his or her own room. The cottages also contain a bright and welcoming living room, a dining/activity room, staff office space, an observation room and a seclusion room.
In close proximity to the cottages is a large clinical services wing, housing clinical services supervisors, the Intake/Admissions Coordinator, six therapists, and counseling, play therapy and observation rooms. Offices for the Health Services Coordinator, nurses, an exam room and medical storage are also included.
The safety improvements are enormous. A sprinkler system, time-delay locks on the doors, and secure bedroom windows discourage running away. Bathroom and bedroom facilities preserve youths’ privacy while maximizing safety. Windows throughout the building ensure the maximum amount of supervision at all times.
While the need for the building has always centered around safety, our children’s emotional safety has also been preserved. While more clinical in appearance than our existing cottages, every effort has been made to maintain an attractive and welcoming environment where our kids can feel at home. Natural light filters into nearly every room in the building. Warm colors on the walls and carpets will make a welcoming backdrop for the decorations and personal belongings that our kids will bring into the cottages.
As always, every child will be given their own hand-made bed quilt, stitched with love by the United Methodist Women who have been caretakers of the home since 1895.
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