Photo / Courtesy KidsPeace
16 Godfrey Drive in Orono.
Updated: 4 hours ago
Ellsworth children’s treatment program to expand educational facility
Photo / Courtesy KidsPeace
KidsPeace campus at 16 Kidspeace Way in Ellsworth is on 12 acres on the shores of Graham Lake.
An Ellsworth nonprofit that provides residential treatment programs for children has reached the halfway point to fund the relocation of its Old Town preschool program to Orono.
KidsPeace aims to move from 601 Stillwater Ave. in Old Town to 16 Godfrey Drive in Orono this fall.
The goal of the capital campaign, launched in April, is $300,000; $150,000 has been raised, including a recent a $50,000 grant from the Ludcke Foundation, a Boston nonprofit that supports organizations that provide needed resources and services to children and families.
Residential programs
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.
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.
Greater capacity
The educational facility in Orono will have three times more classrooms than the current location. It will be able to support more children and families, while serving the needs of the children in the most therapeutic way.
KidsPeace has space for 40 children at the Old Town location. When the new facility is up and running, it will have capacity to care for more than 60 children.
The Orono facility will be designed to provide a more comfortable working environment for education staff. And there will be an employee daycare center, green space for outdoor activities and facilities for in-house and community trainings.
The first phase of the project involves outfitting nine classrooms at the site with furnishings, modern educational technology and curriculum materials. It also includes the creation of the day care center.
The major expense is acquiring new furnishings for the classrooms.
The goal of the overall funding campaign is the creation of an inclusive, state-of-the-art environment where children can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally, according to a news release.
Inquiries about donating to the campaign can go to Rebecca Greenlaw, Rebecca.greenlaw@kidspeace.org; or Brooke Balderson, brooke.balderson@kidspeace.org.
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