History of Children's Institute, Inc.
Beginnings
1906: Minnie Barton, the first woman probation officer in Los Angeles, establishes The Big Sister League to provide assistance to young women who have come to Los Angeles and run out of money. She operates both the Minnie Barton home and the Bide-A-Wee Home for unmarried pregnant women.
The Middle Years: Forging an Identity
1950: A support group, The Colleagues, is formed, whose sole purpose is to raise funds for The Big Sister League. Today, the Colleagues, along with two related support groups--Les Amies and The C.H.I.P.S.--still provide the core of CII's annual funding.
1951: The operations of The Big Sister League are consolidated with the acquisition of the mansion at 701 South New Hampshire Avenue, now the site of CII's Penberthy Child Study Center. The mansion serves pregnant adolescents who have left home to have their babies out of view.
1959: The Big Sister League's annual budget is $87,555. A total of 14 full- and part-time staff serve 195 young women and their babies.
1972: In response to changing social conditions, and to help young mothers who opt to keep their children, CII opens the Colleague Infant Care Center at 711 South New Hampshire Avenue.
Changing Focus: Services for Abused and Neglected Children
1980: The Big Sister League changes its name to Children's Institute International. The child abuse treatment program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles moves to CII. Soon thereafter, CII receives funds to provide child abuse prevention, intervention, and treatment services.
1981: Mary M. Emmons is hired as Executive Officer. There are 30 people on staff and the annual budget is approximately $900,000. Now President and CEO, Ms. Emmons oversees the dramatic growth of the organization over the next twenty-three years.
1984: In response to the crack cocaine epidemic and a dramatic increase in the numbers of very young children in need of protective care, CII converts the Colleague Infant Care Center into a 24-hour emergency shelter and assessment center, including a special care unit specifically for medically fragile infants.
1980s: CII develops a variety of services for abused and neglected children including foster care, child abuse treatment services, and services for children who have been sexually abused. CII is selected by the California State Office of Criminal Justice Planning to be the Southern California Training Center for child sexual abuse treatment.
Last 15 Years: Expansion and Growth
1993: In response to County requests to expand into another area of need, CII constructs a new facility on the campus of the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance.
1990s: CII develops specialized services such as Project Fatherhood℠, Project ERIN (Emergency Response Intervention Network), and Project Stable Home, an intensive home-based intervention program for infants and toddlers at risk for HIV and exposure to substance abuse.
1996: CII hosts its first National Forum, "In Harm's Way," bringing together professionals in the child welfare field as well as researchers, policymakers, law enforcement officials and others to explore the impact of abuse, neglect and violence on children.
1998: When the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services moves away from placing children in shelter programs in favor of relative and foster care, CII closes its shelters and adapts them for use by child care and other programs.
1999: CII hosts its second national forum. The same year, CII secures a contract with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health to provide services for emotionally disturbed children. CII's mental health programs now account for approximately one-third of our annual operating budget.
2003: CII hosts its third national forum with the overarching theme of coping in the aftermath of trauma. The agency has more than 300 people on staff and an annual operating budget of more than $20 million.
2005: CII adopts the name Children's Institute, Inc., updates its look, and enters into its 100th year of service to at-risk children and their families in Los Angeles County.
CII Sites
Central:
701 and 711 South New Hampshire Avenue: CII's "Central" site is composed of two buildings--the main facility at 701 South New Hampshire Avenue, and the Colleague Infant Care Center at 711 South New Hampshire Avenue.
In 1951, CII--then known as the The Big Sister League--acquired the property at 701 South New Hampshire. This 1920s-era mansion was the home of former silent film star Mary Miles Minter. For more than twenty years, the mansion served as a shelter for single mothers. It now houses CII's Family Resource Center and administrative offices.
In 1956, the adjoining property at 711 South New Hampshire Avenue was purchased through funds received from the estate of Nettie Hampton Bicksler, a friend of the League. In the late 1960s, the Board committed to building a center for the group care of infants and toddlers from six weeks to 3 years of age so the young single mothers the agency served would be able to work. The architects designed a building specially to meet the needs of infants and toddlers. The buildings on the sites of 719 and 711 South New Hampshire were demolished, and in 1976, The Colleague Infant Care Center was opened.
Vista Nueva: In partnership with A Community of Friends, CII established a child care center, Vista Nueva, in Los Angeles' crowded mid-Wilshire district. Vista Nueva is part of an affordable-housing complex for residents with special needs and their children.
Temple Street: With funding from First 5 LA, CII established school readiness programs in two Central Los Angeles elementary schools. The purpose of the programs is to work with parents, schools, and other community partners to better prepare young children to enter kindergarten. These programs are operated through CII's Temple Street site.
South County:
CII's Burton E. Green Center is an award-winning building that combines function with exuberant design. The warm colors, open spaces, and synthesis of indoor and outdoor space create a cheerful and welcoming atmosphere for children and families.
The building--which stands on the campus of the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center--was completed in 1993. This unique, 23,000-square-foot structure houses CII's comprehensive child and family services. Four distinct outdoor play yards are designed for a range of ages from infants to early grade school and are easily accessible from interior spaces. Originally used as a shelter for abused and neglected children, the facility now houses CII's early childhood and family support programs.
The Annex and Harbor City: CII services are provided through two other sites in South County: The Annex and Harbor City. The Annex is also located on the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center campus and provides staff support for mental health assessment services. The Harbor City site provides CII services for additional South Bay communities.