Mission Kids is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a safe and nurturing environment for children who have experienced abuse or neglect. They offer specialized services, including therapy and advocacy, to help these children heal and thrive.
Mission Kids will continue to help these children thanks to its newest facility in Plymouth Meeting, 521 Plymouth Road, which celebrated the new digs with a groundbreaking ceremony. The new facility is a 37,000-square-foot Child Advocacy Center and Regional Training Facility that will significantly expand Mission Kids' ability to support children who have experienced abuse and the professionals who protect them.
The groundbreaking ceremony, titled “Breaking Ground for Brighter Futures,” brought together elected officials, donors, multidisciplinary team members, board members, and community supporters to mark the start of construction. On hand to celebrate the occasion were Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, PA Secretary of Human Services Val Arkoosh, Montgomery County Commissioners Jamila Winder & Neil Makhija, Rep. Liz Hanbidge, Rep. Greg Scott, Abbie Newman, CEO of Global & External Affairs, Mission Kids, Leslie Slingsby, CEO of Services & Operations, Mission Kids, and Maripeg Bruder, Mission Kids Board Chair.
This transformational facility will serve as both a safe haven for children and a premier training hub for child abuse professionals across the northeast region of the country.
“When we opened our doors in 2009, we operated out of a small 1,800-square-foot building. Today, we are breaking ground on a space that reflects the scope and impact of the work we do every single day,” said Newman. “This building is more than just bricks and mortar—it’s a promise to the children we serve: that they will always be seen, supported, and surrounded by hope.”
The ceremony coincided with National Child Abuse Prevention Month, with a powerful visual of 1,264 blue pinwheels planted on site—each representing a child served by Mission Kids in 2024.
“This new facility allows us to grow not just in size, but in vision,” said Slingsby. “It’s a space intentionally designed for healing, collaboration, and innovation—where the most vulnerable among us will find strength, and where professionals will come together to change lives.”
Mission Kids’ new center will bring together every essential service—forensic interviews, therapy, medical care, family advocacy, prevention education, and professional training—under one roof. Its thoughtful design enhances privacy, dignity, and safety for children, while creating space for multidisciplinary partners to collaborate more deeply and effectively.
Key features of the new facility include:
According to Mission Kids, one of the most unique components of the new facility is its Regional Training Center—the only one of its kind dedicated solely to child abuse response professionals across the entire east coast. This hub will feature a large, state-of-the-art training room, a Mock Courtroom, and a Mock Apartment to support realistic, hands-on learning.
