ROGERS CEREBRAL PALSY UNIT RENAMED CHILDREN'S CENTER

SIKESTON -- Because it serves children with many types of special needs, the Kenny Rogers Cerebral Palsy Center of Southeast Missouri in Sikeston has changed its name to the Kenny Rogers Children's Center.

"Over the past 25 years, our center has not only grown in size, but in scope," said Chuck Martin, executive director of the center. "One of the primary reasons for the name change is that today our center is serving not only children with cerebral palsy, but children with all types of special needs, including but not limited to Down's syndrome, shaken baby syndrome, autism, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, seizure disorder and ADHD."

The Children's Center has a staff of 17 and serves nearly 200 children with special needs from birth through age 21 from eight counties in Southeast Missouri. It provides on-site and off-site services in pediatric occupational, physical and speech therapy and early childhood special education.

The center was founded in 1974 as the Scott-Mississippi-New Madrid Counties United Cerebral Palsy Center. It was renamed the Kenny Rogers Cerebral Palsy Center of Southeast Missouri in 1979 after the country music singer helped raise the money for a new building and expanded services.

Martin said the latest change is in name only. Staying the same are the services offered; address at 300 Floyd Drive in Sikeston; phone number, (573) 472-0397; fax number, (573) 472-0409; and e-mail address, krcenter@clas.net; and Web site, www.kennyrogerscenter.org.