Spencer, Iowa — A new regional children’s center in Spencer is open for business. It’s named after Autumn Elgersma of Orange City, who died in 2013 after she succumbed to injuries she received at the hands of her daycare provider.
Leaders at Season’s Center for Behavioral Health say that Autumn’s Center will be the only one of its kind, offering specialty services to children like Autumn, who have been abused in some way, or for children who need help with developmental conditions like autism, social issues like bullying, as well as grief and loss, divorce, or other sorts of problems impacting the lives of children.
Kim Scorza, Executive Director of Seasons Center, says that they began seeing patients on October 31st.
She says that Autumn’s Center is a facility for children from birth to age 21.
Scorza says that they started the fundraising three years ago for a million dollars. She says they actually raised over a million and a half dollars.
She says they serve a 10-county area in northwest Iowa, but they have had people inquire about their services from as far south as Ames, as well as southern Minnesota and eastern South Dakota. She says people seem to be attracted to Autumn’s Center because they have so many services available at one location.
Everyone is invited to the public grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony, which will be on Thursday, November 10 from 4-7 p.m. at Autumn’s Center, which is at 120 East Fifth Street in Spencer.
She says you can learn more at seasonscenter.org or by calling (800) 242-5101.
