After a 150-year history of helping at-risk children, McQuade Children”™s Services was shut off from funding by the state Department of Education in December 2009, with the DOE citing a “clear and present danger” to both students and staff at its New Windsor residential treatment campus.
Some of McQuade”™s services and staff will continue under a new name and with new management. Other aspects are in limbo.
McQuade has had its share of negative publicity: “Not unusual given the problems some of our students came to us with,” said one employee on the closed campus, who spoke to HV Biz on condition of anonymity. “We did a lot of good here and hope to be serving the community again soon.” A teacher-student sex scandal that rocked the campus in mid-2007 sent the school on a downward spiral from which it never recovered.
On Wednesday, April 14, Occupations Inc. based in Middletown announced it would buy three of McQuade”™s off-campus properties. Occupations has five central locations in Orange County and serves approximately 14,000 people a year in various treatment and residential programs.
Two group homes in Washingtonville and Cornwall as well as McQuade”™s diagnostic center in Newburgh will be purchased and remain open under Occupations. McQuade”™s 32 staff members at the three facilities will remain and become part of Occupations”™ staff.
The school”™s campus, which served as a residential home and teaching facility, remains closed, with approximately 140 teaching and staff positions eliminated in 2009. Its future remains unclear.
Pamela Kelly-Day, chair of McQuade Children”™s Services board of directors, said she was “confident the children of our community will benefit from being part of the Occupations system” in a prepared statement released April 13. The board will continue looking into options for McQuade”™s 22-acre campus on Route 94 in New Windsor.
“We”™re pleased that we”™ll be working with the families who were served by McQuade at its two residential homes and at the diagnostic center,” said Jim DeStefano, president and CEO of Occupations.
Occupations will work in tandem with the Orange County Department of Social Services and the state Office of Children and Family Services.
Will Occupations be taking over McQuade”™s primary campus? DeStefano was not at liberty to discuss its future. “When there is concrete news to share, we”™ll share it.”
