CONSORTIUM FOR CHILDREN'S SERVICE

Community > Community Organisations

In the early 1970s, representatives from area groups gathered to find ways to improve the quality of life for a significant population of children whose needs were not being met by their families or existing agencies in the community. This group established the Education Committee, comprised of professionals from the health, social services, education, and recreation fields to research the services that were being offered to area children. Their combined findings indicated that such services were lacking.

Before they could help these children, money needed to be raised. To address this vast need, The Consortium gift shop was established in downtown Syracuse. Craftspeople wanted an attractive place to consign their creations, and The Consortium required a focal point where information about the agency’s concerns for children and their methods for meeting their needs could be disseminated to the public. The gift shop opened in 1973 at 123 East Water Street in historic Hanover Square.

Early in 1975, The Consortium collaborated with the Onondaga County Department of Social Services to address the need for preventative services for young children. The Magic Bus program was the result, designed to train childcare providers in family day care homes. Magic Bus continues to ensure high quality childcare for families today. The “Teen Parents and Babies” program, developed in 1987, was another mainstay of the agency, aiding in the education, health and childcare for an adolescent and her/his baby. The program operated for over twenty years, closing in 2010 due to state budget cuts.

The Consortium Gift Shop closed in 1995 so that more attention could be given to expanding programs and services for area youth.

The 1990s brought several new programs to The Consortium. The “Even Start” program was developed in 1997 in collaboration with OCM-BOCES to provide families with home-based services to target family literacy, parenting skills and employment opportunities. Programming has continued to grow with the focus on parent education, promoting family closeness, helping parents with child development and positive discipline, and offering support for parents facing issues including developmental disabilities and adolescence problems

By a unanimous decision of the board, in March, 2008, the agency sold their building at 123 E. Water St., and relocated to leased office space at 2122 Erie Blvd. East, Syracuse, NY 13224. This move opened new opportunities for program growth and allowed the agency to provide services on-site for the first time in the history of the agency. In addition, the board adopted a “doing business name” of the Children’s Consortium.

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