The Midtown neighborhood where the El Moore is located is a wonderful mix of residential units, cultural venues, business and retail establishments, entertainment stages, religious institutions, and social services agencies. Just one block from the El Moore is The Children’s Center, a specialized clinical services facility with a staff that works with children who have behavioral, emotional, educational, intellectual, and developmental challenges, as well as those who have experienced trauma. The mission of The Children’s Center, as stated on its website, is “To help children and families shape their own futures.”
As we all know by now, the Midtown/Cass Corridor area has a very long and rich history and the same can be said for The Children’s Center. It was founded in 1929 by then United States Senator James Couzens, yes the same James Couzens after whom a Detroit freeway and street are named. At the time, The Children’s Center of Wayne County (the original name), which served children who were abandoned abused, or alone, was one of the first clinics of its type in the United States. In 1931, President Herbert Hoover named Senator Couzens as Chair of the National Conference on Child Welfare. The Children’s Center has been accredited by several psychiatric and psychological associations since the 1950s, and has twice been awarded by Crain’s Detroit as “Best Managed Nonprofit Organization.”
The Children’s Center offers over thirty-six (36) groups of services, including adoption and foster care, respite care, ADHD services, early childhood and young adult services, Head Start®, crisis care, and general behavioral and health initiatives.
Those who need help or the services offered by The Children’s Center can just “walk in” from 8:00 – 11:00 am Mondays through Fridays at their headquarters located at 79 West Alexandrine, or call (313) 831-5535. More contact information is available on the website.
The Children’s Center is a historic and treasured neighbor for the El Moore community.