Paving Our Way Through History
We are incredibly fortunate that our agency has been around for one hundred and seventy years, continuously paving the ways in serving children and families. We hope to continue doing the same for another hundred and seventy more.
We thank you for your part in our journey and ask you to hold hands with us as we continue to grow and to adapt and to serve faithfully.
Paved Beginnings
Our Early Years
1852
The Cayuga Asylum for Destitute Children was founded by the efforts of a few charitable ladies located on James Street in Auburn, NY, and was incorporated by an Act of the Legislature.
Listen to stories about our rich founding history in Tales From the Archive: Paving Our Way Through History – Chapter One.
1855
Outgrowing the original orphanage home on James Street, the agency moved to Owasco Street between Walnut and Bradford Streets in Auburn, NY.
1913
The organization’s name was legally changed from Cayuga Asylum for Destitute Children to the Cayuga Home for Children.
1919
Two new programs were established:
Care of Babies; devoted to the temporary care of babies.
After Care; devoted to keeping in touch with the boys and girls after they leave the institution.
Paving New Ways
From Orphanage Care to Congregate Care
1954
Adapting to the time, Cayuga Home for Children was re-evaluating its programs to include specialized treatment. Owasco Street’s now one-hundred-year-old structure was no longer functional, leading the Board to buy the C.G. Meaker property on Hamilton Avenue for $21,000; proposing a new form of care on the property.
1955
Ground breaks on three proposed cottages, housing twelve children plus houseparents. The facilities would also include a central administration building with living quarters for the superintendent, reception rooms, offices, a kitchen, storage room, recreation room, laundry room, and a three or four-bed infirmary.
The Cottages established became May Cottage, Emerson Cottage, and Cowen Cottage.
1983
“I was hired as a House Parent in 1983 and I actually lived in the units for four days and had three days off. So we ere on campus our entire shifts.” – Ron Dushatinksi, group care worker and former houseparent who worked with Cayuga Centers for over 30 years.
Listen to personal stories and learn more about our residential treatment center in Tales From the Archive: From Orphanage Care to Congregate Care.
Paving New Ways in Serving
The HOMEBUILDERS ® Model
1991
Cayuga Home for Children became one of the original HOMEBUILDERS® agencies in New York State. This model emphasized services keeping children and families together safely, and preventing out-of-home placements.
Listen to stories about our Family Preservation Program (FPP) that utilized the HOMEBUILDERS® model in Tales From the Archive: HOMEBUILDERS®.
1994
Services for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities were implemented. Our Weekend Respite and Day Habilitation programs started.
1998
Received first accreditation from Council on Accreditation.
Our first major expansion outside of Cayuga County into Seneca County. This first expansion marked our first steps in expanding throughout NYS leading to our exponential growth throughout New York City, making us a household name.
Listen to stories about how Cayuga Centers expanded its reach within NYS in Tales From the Archive: Expanding in NYS.
New Ways in Serving Families
Functional Family Therapy & Multi-systemic Therapy
1999
Cayuga Home for Children became an early adopter of evidence-based interventions – beginning with Functional Family Therapy (FFT), a Blueprints for Violence Prevention study. FFT began to take a life of its own; paving the way for Multi-systemic Therapy (MST).
Listen to personal stories about the creation of our FFT & MST programs in Tales From the Archive: FFT & MST.
2001
Introduced Blueprints for Violence Prevention, evidence-based program, Multi-Dimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC). MTFC acted as an alternative to group or residential treatment, incarceration, or hospitalization.
2003
Began Multisystemic Therapy (MST) as the only agency in the world delivering all three Blueprints for Violence Prevention interventions validated for high-need adolescents.
Paving New Paths for Children
TFFC & Expanding to New States
2010
Treatment Family Foster Care (TFFC) program was launched using the Multi-Dimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) model, the first and only evidence-based treatment foster care in NYS.
Listen to stories about the launch of our TFFC program in Tales From the Archive: TFFC.
2011
Expanded TFFC program to New York City Administration for Children’s Services. Rebranded to Cayuga Centers. Began Monroe Youth and Family Center, a mental health clinic, in Rochester, NY. The program ended in 2014.
2014
Began working with The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to provide services for Unaccompanied Children (UC). Unlike other providers, UC were placed in foster homes that allow siblings to stay together.
2015 – 2016
Expanded TFFC programs to Palm Beach County, Florida & Delaware.
Listen to stories about our ever-expanding national programs in Tales From the Archive: Expanding to New States.
2017
Weekend Respite and Day Habilitation programs served more than 1,200 individuals through the Care Coordinator program.
Our SafeCare program was launched, a nationally recognized parent training program for parents of children ages 0–5.
2018
Residential Treatment Center closes after congregate care is deemed a less effective way to support children and families than treatment foster care and home and community-based treatment services.
2021
TFFC program is expanded to Pennsylvania.
Launched Home Study and Post Release Services nationally.
2022
Cayuga Centers celebrates 170 years by seeking to serve new areas and underserved populations.
Institute for Child and Family Health (ICFH) merges into Cayuga Centers, expanding our Florida programs from Palm Beach County, Broward County, and the Treasure Coast into Miami-Dade County.
Stay up to date with our latest Annual Report.
Listen to president & CEO Edward Myers Hayes’ vision for the future of Cayuga Centers in Tales From the Archive: The Next 170 Years.
Best Agency Awards – Best Non-Profit Campaign
Paving New Ways has been honored by The MUSE Creative and Design Awards for their first competitive season of 2023.
Interested in our history?
Our History booklet is filled with in-depth stories straight from our archives, photos, and anecdotes from the leaders who devoted their lives to supporting our communities.
Make our tomorrow possible, today.
Every dollar raised helps enhance extracurricular activities for our kids. Every voice raised helps show what quality foster care looks like. Every child raised with love changes the world.