Penfield Children’s Center
833 N. 26th St., Milwaukee
414-344-7676
www.penfieldchildren.org
Penfield Children’s Center was named in honor of Dr. Wilder Penfield, a world-renowned neurosurgeon who strongly advocated early intervention for children with developmental delays and disabilities. His passion for helping children has inspired the mission of the center since its founding in 1967.
Today, Penfield serves more than 1,800 people annually, and has continued to grow and adapt to best serve the community.
It offers high-quality integrated services through research-based programming for children and their families.
According to Jason Parry, vice president of development and communications at Penfield Children’s Center, the center’s main focus is serving children ages birth to three, but it also offers therapy services, a behavior clinic, a special care nursery, early education and care, as well as a significant parent and family component.
“Our behavior clinic is a prime example of how the center has adapted to serve a larger need in the community,” Parry said.
More than 90 percent of the children that Penfield Children’s Center serves are subsisting at or below the federally-determined poverty level, he said.
Through a partnership with Marquette University, the behavior clinic was established in 2003 to serve children 5 years old and younger who have behavior and emotional issues. It is the only program of its kind in Milwaukee, and offers a family-centered care model and in-home care sessions that help address issues early in a child’s development to help prevent serious mental health issues from developing in the future.
“We’ve continued to grow and adapt to continue to provide for the people we serve on a regular basis,” Parry added.
Penfield employs licensed special education teachers, speech pathologists, physical and occupational therapists, nurses, certified nursing assistants, social workers and child care staff.
