Andrus Children's Center

AGENCY HISTORY: The Julia Dyckman Andrus Memorial, founded in 1928 by John E. Andrus in memory of his wife, has evolved over time to meet the changing needs of children. Initially an orphanage, Andrus is now a multidisciplinary treatment center which helps children and families overcome serious emotional, behavioral, and psychiatric problems.

THE CHILDREN: We work with boys and girls from 4 to 16 years of age, all of whom have experienced difficulties at home, school, and in their communities. These children are physically healthy and average or above in intelligence, but they suffer from a variety of emotional and psychiatric problems. Many of our children have received a range of therapeutic services in the past, but instead of getting better their difficulties have only worsened. On his first day at Andrus, a child generally assumes that this place will be no different --that these new adults will fail to help him. On his last day at Andrus, a child generally believes that, with real help from many staff members, he has made tremendous progress, and is ready to succeed at home and in his next school.

LOCATION & SETTING: The Julia Dyckman Andrus Memorial is located on the border of Yonkers and Hastings-on-Hudson, in Westchester County, New York. The immediate area is fairly quiet and suburban, but midtown Manhattan is 30 minutes away. This location provides easy access to a tremendous variety of cultural, social, and recreational resources in the city, the suburbs, and out in the country. The campus itself is 106 acres of green fields, apple and peach orchards, fieldstone cottages, and woods. There’s a gym, indoor pool, and a ropes course, as well as trails for our minibike program.