Letter From the CEO

Thank you for visiting McKinley Children’s Center’s website. I hope your visit inspires you to learn more about how you can help the children of McKinley.

McKinley is proud of their place in the community as a premier provider of child welfare services. For over 100 years, we have offered a safe haven for children who need help. The McKinley of today continues to serve the community using a variety of programs in addition to the residential care we were always known for. McKinley’s Foster Care and Adoptions Program has a large network of families in the community who provide a loving home for children; our on-campus school is recognized as a leader in providing special education services; and McKinley’s Mental Health Services helps children in the community attain desperately needed counseling. We’re also proud to announce that we are finding new ways to serve our community. Our M-Certified Training Center utilizes evidence-based, best practice standards of learning to offer training to those looking to enhance their professional skills, and our innovative Brain Lab Literacy Program uses research-backed neuro-scientific principles to help children master reading.

We are also highly committed to quality. McKinley’s services are nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Child and Family Services, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and the International Association for Continuing Education and Training. Our accreditations are proof that McKinley uses nationally recognized best practices to achieve the best possible outcomes. We are transparent and have multiple layers of oversight to ensure that our children are receiving the highest level of care.

Strategically, we have invested in our infrastructure so that we are poised for the next 100 years. McKinley is completely debt free; a status that allows us to continually invest in our future. We have state of the art computer, software and telephone systems, which allow us to provide services efficiently and our dedicated employees are highly educated and trained to meet the needs to today’s child. I am very excited to announce that through the generous support of the McKinley Home for Boys Foundation, the McKinley campus will be almost 100 percent powered by solar energy starting in October of 2011. This move will allow McKinley to save on ever-rising energy costs while helping to create a healthy, green environment.

This isn’t to say that we don’t have our obstacles. As state and federal budgets are reset to meet our new economic realities, McKinley faces increased challenges. Over the past few years, we have dealt with significant funding cuts to our education and foster care programs. The children we serve need more help than ever before, and changes in regulations have required McKinley to adapt and be fluid. However, with our effective strategic planning, diligent efforts from our dedicated team, and the continued support from you, we are confident that we will be able to provide everything that McKinley’s children need to be successful.

I encourage all of you to get involved. Become a volunteer, mentor a child, learn more about adoptions, or even find yourself moving towards a wonderful, rewarding career. Please contact us to learn more about McKinley and to arrange a tour, and please spread the word. On behalf of our Board of Directors, employees and volunteers, I thank you for supporting McKinley’s mission!

Sincerely,

Al Mason
Chief Executive Officer