Our History
Began with a very special partnership
We began in 1973 as a beautiful partnership between two registered nurses, Veryl Anderson and Cindy Stocking, Christ Church in Andover, and a community of families.
PCD began to offer respite care services for local families whose children had special needs. The program started in the basement of Christ Church with three nurses volunteering to care for 4 children with a $100 donation for snacks from the Christ Church Rectory Fund.
Out of that partnership was born PCD (Partners in Child Development) that now serves over 2,000 children and families annually and provides life-long learning through our core educational and therapeutic programs: Anderson School, Early Intervention, and Woodbridge School.
The Professional Center for Child Development is re-named Partners in Child Development for the 50th anniversary. A name that will take us into the next 50 years of improving the lives of children through educational and therapeutic programming. New name. new logo. new website. SAME HEART.
The Developmental Day School, PCCD’s legacy program and approved private special education school is renamed Anderson School in recognition of Veryl Anderson and her 44 years of leadership and service to The Professional Center for Child Development.
In partnership with the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, the Federation for Children with Special Needs, the Lawrence Public Library and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, PCCD Launched the Free Cabina De Salud/Telehealth Video Conference Cabin in the Lawrence public Library in response to family’s needs for reliable, affordable internet access and a quiet, private place to conduct virtual appointments.
Woodbridge School expands programming to serve a wider range of ages.
Received approval from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education to raise the age-eligibility of students in Anderson School from 10 – 12 years of age, continuing the care and education of current and future students.
Co-Founder and the retired Executive Director, Veryl Anderson, becomes Executive Director Emeritus for the non-profit. In her new role, Anderson continues to provide counsel and mentorship to the PCCD leadership.
Pandemic
The Professional Center for Child Development (PCCD) quickly reimagined what their Early Intervention (EI) may look like and pivoted to a comprehensive telehealth EI program. This ensured the children receiving EI services did not experience a regression in their developmental progress.
LINK CHERYL BRUK Channel 5 video/interview
Woodbridge School opened its doors and began
providing early education and care to 12 children. That same year, to meet demand, we doubled in size and opened an additional classroom to care for and educate 12 more children.
Veryl Anderson, Co-Founder and Founding CEO retires after 44 years of dedicated service to children, families, and the community.
Our EI program grew by 150 students seemingly overnight when we stepped in to ensure displaced children (from a local EI program closure) did not experience a lapse in essential services. With this growth, we moved to a new, larger, location in Lawrence.
The age limit for participation in our Developmental Day School increased to 10, and the school day lengthened to include time for structured curriculum and therapies. After the success of the “Two by Two” toddler program, a “Two by Three” integrated preschool for 3–5-year-olds was added.
We opened the doors to new 8,000 sq. ft. addition to the Andover office.
During this time, The Professional Center was selected to operate the Northeast Regional Consultation Program for the state of Massachusetts.
Updated name to The Professional Center for Child Development.
Piloted an integrated “two by two” toddler group bringing children with developmental delays together with typically developing children in the community, nurturing the growth, potential and development of each child.
Acquired leased space in Lawrence to house the Early Intervention Program, as demand for Early Intervention soared.
Moved to new home at 32 Osgood Street in Andover – a fully accessible space large enough for current student body and allowed the Center to meet the changing needs of many more local children.
Became an independent not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) agency and took the name, The Professional Center for Handicapped Children, Inc.
The center became one of the first Early Intervention programs in the State when the Department of Mental Retardation (now known as the Department of Developmental Services) took notice of the program and asked Veryl and Cindy to serve mentally handicapped children as well.
Granted licensure to become a Chapter 766 school, area school districts began sending children with special needs to the program. The program quickly grew to enroll 50 children from Merrimack Valley.
Christ Church Professional Nursery for the handicapped was created by Registered Nurses, Veryl Anderson, and Cindy Stocking. They created this respite care service for 4 local families in need in partnership with Christ Church in Andover.
The Professional Center for Child Development is re-named Partners in Child Development for the 50th anniversary. A name that will take us into the next 50 years of improving the lives of children through educational and therapeutic programming. New name. new logo. new website. SAME HEART.
The Developmental Day School, PCCD’s legacy program and approved private special education school is renamed Anderson School in recognition of Veryl Anderson and her 44 years of leadership and service to The Professional Center for Child Development.
In partnership with the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, the Federation for Children with Special Needs, the Lawrence Public Library and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, PCCD Launched the Free Cabina De Salud/Telehealth Video Conference Cabin in the Lawrence public Library in response to family’s needs for reliable, affordable internet access and a quiet, private place to conduct virtual appointments.
Woodbridge School expands programming to serve a wider range of ages.
Received approval from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education to raise the age-eligibility of students in Anderson School from 10 – 12 years of age, continuing the care and education of current and future students.
Co-Founder and the retired Executive Director, Veryl Anderson, becomes Executive Director Emeritus for the non-profit. In her new role, Anderson continues to provide counsel and mentorship to the PCCD leadership.
Pandemic
The Professional Center for Child Development (PCCD) quickly reimagined what their Early Intervention (EI) may look like and pivoted to a comprehensive telehealth EI program. This ensured the children receiving EI services did not experience a regression in their developmental progress.
LINK CHERYL BRUK Channel 5 video/interview
Woodbridge School opened its doors and began
providing early education and care to 12 children. That same year, to meet demand, we doubled in size and opened an additional classroom to care for and educate 12 more children.
Veryl Anderson, Co-Founder and Founding CEO retires after 44 years of dedicated service to children, families, and the community.
Our EI program grew by 150 students seemingly overnight when we stepped in to ensure displaced children (from a local EI program closure) did not experience a lapse in essential services. With this growth, we moved to a new, larger, location in Lawrence.
The age limit for participation in our Developmental Day School increased to 10, and the school day lengthened to include time for structured curriculum and therapies. After the success of the “Two by Two” toddler program, a “Two by Three” integrated preschool for 3–5-year-olds was added.
We opened the doors to new 8,000 sq. ft. addition to the Andover office.
During this time, The Professional Center was selected to operate the Northeast Regional Consultation Program for the state of Massachusetts.
Updated name to The Professional Center for Child Development.
Piloted an integrated “two by two” toddler group bringing children with developmental delays together with typically developing children in the community, nurturing the growth, potential and development of each child.
Acquired leased space in Lawrence to house the Early Intervention Program, as demand for Early Intervention soared.
Moved to new home at 32 Osgood Street in Andover – a fully accessible space large enough for current student body and allowed the Center to meet the changing needs of many more local children.
Became an independent not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) agency and took the name, The Professional Center for Handicapped Children, Inc.
The center became one of the first Early Intervention programs in the State when the Department of Mental Retardation (now known as the Department of Developmental Services) took notice of the program and asked Veryl and Cindy to serve mentally handicapped children as well.
Granted licensure to become a Chapter 766 school, area school districts began sending children with special needs to the program. The program quickly grew to enroll 50 children from Merrimack Valley.
Christ Church Professional Nursery for the handicapped was created by Registered Nurses, Veryl Anderson, and Cindy Stocking. They created this respite care service for 4 local families in need in partnership with Christ Church in Andover.