Brooker Memorial
In 1918 Charles F. Brooker as a tribute to his mother, and his desire to give back to his home town of Torrington wrote a charter describing the attributes and programs of a center for children and their parents and named it The Maria Seymour Brooker Memorial; best known today as Brooker Memorial. The first programs offered at the center were a day nursery for children, many of whom were of immigrant parents with low paying jobs, as well as, taking in orphans; many from deceased immigrants. A homestead donated to this center housed these orphans and were cared for by a matron who lived on the grounds and took care of the nursery as well. The nursery has expanded since that time and continues to provide daycare services for those in the community that need it. What many may not know is that Brooker Memorial provides services for all who live and or work in Litchfield County regardless of greatness or lack of means.
Since the early days of Brooker Memorial, the center has added many services such as:
Dentistry, Pediatric Speech, Physical and occupational therapy for children (by Cheshire Fitness Zone), Peer support for parents/guardians, Referrals to other agencies for resources the center may not provide, Group activities for families, Speakers on topics useful to the community – substance abuse, guardianship, gardening demonstrations and more.
Many who take advantage of their dental program are referred to by local pediatricians. According to Cathy Chiron Coyle, the Executive Director of Brooker Memorial, “2374 or 58% of kids seen at Brooker Pediatric Dental Center in the last year are from Torrington. 1675 kids (41%) live in towns throughout Litchfield County.”
In order to qualify for a position at Brooker you must have a degree specific to the job title, be licensed by the State and be well experienced in your field. If you are lucky enough to visit the Center, you might notice the warm greetings from staff, the friendly atmosphere and general cohesiveness of the staff who number around thirty five working in full or part-time positions.
This well-run facility did not happen by accident. Cathy, and Lisa Ferris, the Director of Community Relations, shared their methods for this outcome. Everyone is reminded that no matter which area of care they provide, they must all work together for the best outcome. There is an employee committee to help bring staff together on an ongoing basis. Examples are set on acceptable ways to interact from the top of the organization down. High standards are set for all and a philosophy of paying attention to each other in positive ways is the common practice. This example of how to work together may be one of the reasons for their great success.
The cost to parents or guardians is 75% of the total costs for dental and childcare services. The remainder is paid by state insurance agencies, trust funds and donations from the communities at large. The annual expenses of this needed facility are around 2.2 million dollars. Public donations help meet their financial needs. To that end, those interested in donating may call Brooker Memorial @ 860-489-1328 or visit their website: www.brookermemorial.org.
The Brooker Memorial is a gen in our midst. And now we know it too.
