The Auburn branch of Childhaven will host a community birthday party on Thursday, July 23, to celebrate the nonprofit organization’s centennial.
The 100th anniversary celebration takes place from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Patrick L. Gogerty Branch of Childhaven, 1345 22nd St. NE in Auburn.
The outdoor event will include free food and beverages, games for kids, giveaways and other activities. Guests are invited to drop by any time during the two-hour party.
Founded in 1909 as Seattle Day Nursery, Childhaven provides therapeutic child care and early childhood education to babies, toddlers and preschoolers who have suffered from or are at risk of abuse and neglect.
The Auburn branch opened in 1992 as Childhaven’s second center and serves approximately 98 children in the South King County area. The branch provides health screenings, two balanced meals a day and a snack, outdoor and indoor play areas, door-to-door transportation, monthly home visits and daily home monitoring. Branch staff also work with parents to help them gain the skills and confidence they need to raise happy, healthy children.
The Auburn building is named in honor of Childhaven’s modern-day founder and former executive director Patrick Gogerty, whose own abusive childhood inspired him to shift Seattle Day Nursery’s day care focus toward the care of the youngest victims of abuse and neglect.
Some 44 full-time employees make up the Auburn branch’s staff, including 31 therapeutic childcare workers. The branch’s construction, in a space formerly occupied by a shopping center, was supported through an extensive capital campaign and the generosity of many individual, corporate and foundation donors, including key contributions from The Boeing Company and The Glaser Foundation.
For more information about the Auburn branch or about the Centennial celebration, contact the branch at 253-833-5908.
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Since 1909, Childhaven has been a safe and caring place for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Today, we are a community leader, statewide advocate and national model in the treatment and prevention of child abuse and neglect. Using innovative, proven approaches to child development in a therapeutic day care environment, we heal old hurts and nurture young lives. By strengthening family and child relationships and improving parenting skills, we break the cycle of abuse and neglect and create a foundation for lifelong loving relationships. For more information, call 206-624-6477 or visit the Web site at www.childhaven.org.
