The last 100 years for the CARE for Children organization has not been an easy road, which many challenges faced — however, one century later, CARE for Children has overcome those obstacles and is still able to service the welfare of local children, making sure they are provided the best possibilities life has to offer — no matter their limitations.

At a historic meeting in July 1929, it was decided to proceed with a county-wide society, and that membership in the society should be limited to Rotarians in McKean County. Accordingly, on August 14, 1929, the Society was officially founded. The Society was officially incorporated as a public charity/ membership organization in January of 1930.

In the early years of CARE for Children, the only tangible property consisted of a sheet of paper containing the names of 79 children with disabilities who needed help. There was no money in the bank, no office help, no nurse — not even a desk, a file or a typewriter.

Nevertheless, at its first meeting in 1930, the new Board of Directors voted to conduct a children’s clinic sometime in the month of January. Operations were on a very modest budget for the first year. Receipts — all from the Bradford and Kane Rotary Clubs — totaled $850.50, while expenditures were $774.17.

Dr. Karl Frankovitch, M.D., who served as the medical director and presided at orthopedic clinics in Bradford from 1970 to 2012, is pictured at the clinic with Joe Pascarella and his father, circa 1982.

Due to the success of the January clinic, CARE for Children continued to make an effort to provide clinics, treatment, and follow up.

The Rotary Clubs of Bradford and Kane formed the Crippled Children’s Committee, which was based on the guidelines set forth by the Pennsylvania Society for Crippled Children. Rotary also fundraised amongst its members, other clubs and individuals to ensure services were ongoing and that children of the area received proper medical care and evaluation.

Significantly, these first people to concern themselves with the needs of children with disabilities represented three groups; government, the public schools and the Rotary Clubs. These same three groups continued to provide most of the guidance, support and services for children with disabilities in McKean County throughout those early years.

Toward the latter part of 1930, it was realized that immediate attention must be given to raising funds for the clinic to help local children. The idea that only Rotarians from Bradford, Kane, Smethport and Port Allegany should be members of the new organization was soon abandoned, and other civic groups were invited to participate. Individual memberships at $1 or more per year were authorized in 1931 and this remained the principal way of raising operating funds for the next 70 years.

The Society did a lot of fundraising, led by Rotary Clubs in McKean County. Throughout the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s the society provided orthopedic clinics across McKean County. Area children with disabilities received therapy, operations, care, treatment and (most importantly) hope.

The Society was in the forefront in the fight against polio, with the Rotary Club of Bradford purchasing the area’s first Iron Lung.

In September 1963, the Society applied for funding through the Bradford United Fund in an effort to support the United Way concept. Just a short time later, the Society was included in the Kane Area United Way, Port Allegany United Fund and Smethport United Way (formerly Smethport Community Chest).

“It is difficult to believe that CARE for Children is celebrating its 100th birthday. Yet, when seeing the smiles on the children of CARE, year after year, it is easy to see how fast a century can elapse,” said Tyler R. Hannah, president of the board of directors. “Lives are touched on a daily basis, and those days, in turn, add up to years’ worth of therapy, learning and intervention to enrich the lives of those very children and our entire community.”

In 1968, the McKean County Society became affiliated with the Pennsylvania Easter Seal Society. With the services, such as an employee pension program, camping programs, educational programs and guidelines available through the State and National organizations, came the responsibility of a name change and meeting standards. The McKean County Society for Crippled Children became the McKean County Easter Seal Society.

In 1994, in order to reduce expenses, Easter Seal created districts within the state instead of maintaining the county relationship. Just prior to this districting project, the McKean County chapter had paid as much as $10,000 in annual dues to Easter Seal which reduced available benefits to the county. At this point, the McKean County Society elected to disaffiliate with Easter Seal, as did many other counties in Pennsylvania.

According to the board at the time, “We felt we could not survive this organizational change by Easter Seal. We reverted to our original designation as McKean County Society for Crippled Children.”

With the negative connotations of the word “crippled,” it was not an appropriate term to use in the name of such an organization. In the words of one parent, “The word sounds so definite and without hope. This agency gives hope to parents! Your name should reflect that.”

The board of directors, with community input, decided on a more positive and upbeat name for the agency. Each letter in the name CARE represented a service: Consultation, Adaptation, Rehabilitation and Education.

CARE for Children began as an idea that the welfare of children with disabilities should not be left to chance, that an area as large as McKean County and the surrounding region should have a formally organized body whose sole purpose was to better the lot of children with disabilities.

CARE for Children is a non-profit organization which provides pediatric therapy services, early learning programs, child safety and injury prevention initiatives, therapeutic recreation programs and community outreach services for children of all abilities.

The CARE organization is headquartered in Bradford, but provides services across McKean County and stretching into neighboring counties, including providing Early Intervention in Forest and Warren Counties and school-based services and Early Intervention in Potter County.

In November 2002, the board of directors and membership of the organization voted to amend both the certificate of incorporation and the bylaws to remove the provisions regarding membership and provide for governance only by the board of directors.

In 2004, the organization obtained the prestigious Seal of Excellence from the Pennsylvania Association from Non-profit Organizations Standards for Excellence Program. It was a two-year project in which the board and staff adopted policies, procedures and best practices to meet the rigors of the program. CARE was re-accredited with the Seal of Excellence in 2007, 2013, 2017 and 2023.