| 1. |
Who are the children at Edgewood Children's Center?
|
|
The children we serve are severely emotionally disturbed and
have behavior disorders. The children have experienced many
failed placements. They often have been through several failed
foster or adoptive placements, hospitalizations and often other
residential placements. Day treatment students have had numerous
failed educational placements; all the resources and special
programs their local school districts have to offer have been
tried. The school district from which the child is referred
pays Edgewood to educate the child. |
| 2. |
How many children does Edgewood serve daily? |
|
Each day we serve over 350 children, including 40 children
who call Edgewood their home, through a comprehensive program
of residential treatment, special education, aftercare services
and Family and Community Services (prevention). |
| 3. |
How old are the children you serve? |
|
Our children range in age from 3 to 17, depending on the program
area. |
| 4. |
How do the children come to Edgewood? Who refers them? |
|
Referrals come to Edgewood from the following sources - residential
children are referred by the Children's Division; special education/day
treatment students are referred by their home school district;
permanency families come from in-house referrals and other child
welfare agencies and organizations; Family and Community Services
serves children and families referred by Division of Family
Services, Department of Mental Health, as well as in-house referrals.
We negotiate with the three major funding sources to best utilize
the funds available. |
| 5. |
How long do children stay at Edgewood? |
|
The length of stay at Edgewood depends upon the program:
Residential - 1 to 6 months
Special Education/Day Treatment - 1 to 2 years
Aftercare - 6-12 months, or as needed
Prevention - 1 to 3 months |
| 6. |
How much does it cost Edgewood to care for a child? |
|
It costs approximately $200/day to shelter, feed, educate
and care for each child in residential care. |
| 7. |
Where do the children go to school? |
|
Edgewood operates a fully accredited, licensed special school
for not only the 40 children who call Edgewood home, but also
for 130 other children who come from all over the metropolitan
area for services. This includes our south campus location which
serves 32 children and our Childhaven program for children with
communication disorders. |
| 8. |
How are the classrooms structured? |
|
Classrooms at Edgewood are ungraded and may be either co-ed
or single gender, depending upon where the child lives (either
at Edgewood or in their own home placement). |
| 9. |
What happens to the children after they leave Edgewood? |
|
A child is ready to leave the Edgewood program when the family,
staff team and referral agency determine that the child is
capable of living with a family (or in a less restrictive
environment than Edgewood), attending a public school or vocational
training and able to function in the community.
Many children return to live with their biological, adoptive
or foster families. Edgewood's Permanency program provides
alternative family placement after discharge to children who
are unable to return to their family. Children may be referred
to independent living programs, group homes or less intensive
treatment programs when they cannot be appropriately placed
with families. In some cases, Edgewood provides follow-up
and in-home therapy when a child leaves the on-campus program. |
| 10. |
What is ECC's success rate? |
|
Our belief and goal is that we help 100% of the children who
are a part of Edgewood Children's Center. In day treatment,
children are able to return to a less restrictive school setting.
Most of the residential children are sent to a less restrictive
group home setting (independent living programs). Some need
continuing help and are sent to other programs similar to ECC
which can accommodate older youth. Some children are able to
return to their natural families, a foster family or an adoptive
family. |
| 11. |
What kind of volunteer work is available at Edgewood?
|
| |
We have a great need for volunteers and could not do all that
we do for the children without them. We have opportunities to
work both directly with the children and the agency as a whole.
From classroom aides to office support, your support will be
vital to our mission. For more information about the volunteer
program and the opportunities available, please visit the Make
a Difference section of our website. |
