Children's TLC began in 1947 as the Cerebral Palsy Nursery School. Its purpose was to prepare children of pre-school age for formal schooling. The Center was founded by a group of volunteers – Mary Shaw (Shawsie) Branton, Jane Dick and Jeanette Luhnow -- in response to a need identified by teachers who realized that age six or seven was too late to begin basic skills training. They were quite forward thinking. The importance of early intervention with children has since been well documented and accepted.
In 1956, the organization's name was changed to Crippled Children's Nursery School (CCNS) to reflect the acceptance of children with other major physical disabilities. CCNS became affiliated with Children’s Mercy Hospital in 1964 as a division of its department of pediatrics. Children's TLC has a long history of affiliation with Children's Mercy Hospital, but has always been a separate corporation. Responding to community needs, the program was expanded in 1975 to include children with hearing impairments. CCNS changed its name to Children's TLC (Therapeutic Learning Center) and expanded services to include early intervention with infants, toddlers and their families in 1991. In January of 1993, Children's TLC and Children's Mercy Hospital agreed that Children's TLC would assume independent programmatic and fiscal responsibility. Today, the two entities continue a close association that is beneficial to the children and families served.
In January 1999, following four years of planning, fund raising, building design and construction, Children's TLC, the Children's Center for the Visually Impaired (CCVI) and the YWCA moved into the state-of-the-art Children's Center Campus at 31st & Main. The partnership enables the agencies to share resources, promote interaction among children with and without disabilities, and provide a continuum of services to their families. In April 2000, the YMCA assumed responsibility for the YWCA’s operation in our facility.
Children’s TLC began providing services for the infants and toddlers of Wyandotte County in July, 2006, and opened an office on the Kansas side of the state line. Additional outreach programs include therapeutic service contracts with several area school districts, Operation Breakthrough, the Berkeley Preschool at UMKC and outpatient treatment options at our main campus.
For nearly sixty years the Kansas City community has supported Children's TLC through the guidance of a volunteer Board of Directors, a faithful corps of community volunteers, and the generosity of private contributors and public funds.
Our Philosophy
We believe that learning begins at birth and that all children deserve to be taught with kindness, respect and compassion.
We believe that children with and without disabilities are more alike than different and that emphasis should be placed on each child’s unique ABILITIES.
We believe that all children should receive appropriate educational and therapeutic services, regardless of their family’s ability to pay.
We believe that the needs of the child’s family are equal to the child’s needs.
We believe in a trans-disciplinary, team approach for establishing and implementing each child’s treatment plan, which includes the family as an integral part of the team.
We believe in programming which incorporates each child’s strengths, as well as his/her challenges.
We believe in evidence-based educational and therapeutic programs with measurable goals and outcomes.
We believe in respecting each family’s cultural and linguistic differences and taking those differences into consideration when working with the child.
We believe parental and professional accountability are critical if a child is to achieve his or her maximum potential.
We believe that learning begins at birth and that all children deserve to be taught with kindness, respect and compassion.
We believe that children with and without disabilities are more alike than different and that emphasis should be placed on each child’s unique ABILITIES.
We believe that all children should receive appropriate educational and therapeutic services, regardless of their family’s ability to pay.
We believe that the needs of the child’s family are equal to the child’s needs.
We believe in a trans-disciplinary, team approach for establishing and implementing each child’s treatment plan, which includes the family as an integral part of the team.
We believe in programming which incorporates each child’s strengths, as well as his/her challenges.
We believe in evidence-based educational and therapeutic programs with measurable goals and outcomes.
We believe in respecting each family’s cultural and linguistic differences and taking those differences into consideration when working with the child.
We believe parental and professional accountability are critical if a child is to achieve his or her maximum potential.
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