Programs of the Murphy Center

The Allyne Black Group Home

Scheduled to open by August 1, 2004, this home is designed to provide a place for children and youth to live who have completed their treatment at the Harpst campus or any other treatment facility and who have no viable family to which to return. While the children and youth are here, work will be done to either reconnect them to family members who will be a constructive, positive part of their lives or, if none are available, to find them a foster family. Some of these children may be referred directly from the Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS) in an effort to prevent the need for residential treatment.

There are many children needing out-of-home-placement for whom – if a safe, nurturing yet structured environment is provided early enough – residential treatment will not be needed. All too often, though, these children are ignored until their behavior becomes so severe that they eventually require treatment rather than a less restrictive “homelike” environment in which to work out their problems. The goal of Murphy-Harpst is to do all possible to prevent this from happening.

This home is named in memory of a long-time benefactor of the Murphy Campus who passed away in 2003.

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The Polk County Council for Children and Families

The PCCCF is a collaborative initiative started by a grant submitted to the state of Georgia by the Murphy-Harpst Centers in 1994. Comprised of community agencies (Family and Children’s Services, Juvenile Justice, Mental Health, etc.), businesses, civic organizations, and interested individuals this collaborative serves approximately 3500 children and families each year in community programs designed to prevent abuse and neglect. In 1996 the Polk Council was selected by the Georgia Policy Council as one of the first ten Community Partnerships in the state. In 1999 the Council was recognized by the Georgia Family Connection for “Outstanding Achievement in Systems Change.” In 2000 the Council was one of five Georgia counties selected by the Appalachian Regional Commission to participate in an Early Childhood Initiative, which is ongoing. Significant funding was provided by this grant to develop a number of programs ranging from newborn visitation to various family support activities.

Although all services of the PCCCF are offered in the community, its headquarters and offices are located on the Murphy Campus in addition to a lending library for educational toys, parent resources, and baby furniture.

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The Head Start School

Approximately 120 three and four year old children receive educational instruction in the buildings that comprise the Head Start program, supervised by the Tallatoona Economic Opportunity Authority, Inc. Tallatoona EOA also supervises the Pre-K program because this connection enables the blending of different funding streams, resulting in a richer array of educational opportunities, staff, and resources.

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The Pre-Kindergarten School

Through funds provided by the Georgia Lottery, this school serves four-year-old children made eligible through family circumstances that place the child at risk of not being prepared to start kindergarten without the help of this program. Sixty children are taught in the Murphy campus school, where they are provided with a rich array of educational toys, supplies, experiences and instruction designed to equip them with those skills needed to start school ready to learn and progress from grade to grade successfully.