Cunningham Children's Home history

In 1927 building begins with the construction of the central heating plant.

Sheldon Hall is razed and in 1969, the girls’ community group home is opened.

The United Methodist Women continue to be future-oriented and in 1982 built the Gerber On-Grounds School to meet the ever-changing educational needs of the children.

His previous experience included frontline and administrative roles in residential care and hospital settings, including serving as a therapist and Cottage Director at Cunningham during the 1990’s.

In 1996 the Illinois Great Rivers Conference UMW units approve the Board’s request to purchase the 17 acres of land immediate north and adjacent to the existing main campus.

In the year 2000, Cunningham Children’s Home begins to undertake a radical transformation of our main campus and beyond.

When ground is broken on the project in March 2004, the Cunningham Master Campus Plan begins to be realized.

The Hensons’ passion for this project came from their first visit to the gym at Cunningham in 2007.

In 2009, Cunningham continued to respond to the changing needs of the youth in our care, opening expanded transitional living services within an existing apartment complex in Urbana.

In May 2014, the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) indicated a great need for foster care homes so Cunningham responded by expanding its traditional Foster Care program.