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Updated: 2 hours ago

Children’s treatment program unveils expanded special-purpose school in Orono

People look on as someone cuts a ribbon. Photo / Courtesy KidsPeace KidsPeace Orono Learning Center Director Lindsae Kish (with scissors) and Assistant Director Samantha McBreairty cut the ribbon on the Orono Learning Center with KidsPeaceMaine education staff and leaders.
By Laurie Schreiber

A nonprofit that provides residential treatment programs for children relocated its special-purpose program to a new facility that has double the capacity.

KidsPeace held an opening event last week for its new Orono Learning Center at 16 Godfrey Drive, which houses an education program formerly located 601 Stillwater Ave. in Old Town.

Added capacity is expected to result in more children from rural areas enrolling in programs, said Rachel Bousquet, KidsPeace New England’s executive director.

Community members and parents joined officials from the national KidsPeace organization and KidsPeace New England for the opening.  

An entryway to a building has lights on inside and pumpkins outside.
Photo / Courtesy KidsPeace
KidsPeace opened its Orono Learning Center last week.

“This milestone was made possible thanks to the generous support of donors, community partners and advocates who believe in KidsPeace’s mission,” said Bousquet.

The Orono facility repurposed a 21,000-square-foot, single-story office building and has three times more classrooms than the Old Town location, with capacity to care for more than 60 children. It was designed to provide a more comfortable working environment for education staff. There’s an employee daycare center, green space for outdoor activities and facilities for in-house and community trainings.

The facility brings employment opportunities to the Orono community, said Bousquet.

Education trends

The Orono facility exemplifies educational trends, said Michael Slack, the organization’s president and CEO.

“In many places in KidsPeace’s continuum of care, we’re finding increasing interest in identifying new approaches to collaboration between the education sector and mental health care providers,” Slack said. 

Established in 1882, KidsPeace is a private charity dedicated to serving the behavioral and mental health needs of children, families and communities. It provides a psychiatric hospital; residential treatment programs; accredited educational services; and foster care and community-based treatment programs.

An aerial view shows water, lawns, buildings, and woods.
Photo / Courtesy KidsPeace
KidsPeace campus at 16 Kidspeace Way in Ellsworth is on 12 acres on the shores of Graham Lake.

Offering residential treatment services in Maine, Pennsylvania and Georgia, its Ellsworth campus offers residential services for young people on the autism spectrum and youth requiring 24-hour clinical, residential and educational services and supervision

Since its doors opened, more than 300,000 children have participated in one of the multitude of programs KidsPeace offers.

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