Children's Advocacy Center

The Southeast Kansas Education Service Center, or Greenbush as it's commonly known, started in 1976 as three employees in a small, vacant school building donated by USD 248 Girard. The ESC started on the basis that it would provide area school districts a way of accomplishing things that would be too costly individually. The five original member districts Erie-St. Paul, Yates Center, Riverton, Girard and Fort Scott Community College joined together to establish a list of priorities and form a board of education with representatives from each of their own district boards. The ESC has more than 200 programs and services and 500-plus employees. Services extend far past the physical boundaries of the Greenbush property, which has expanded to include more than 500 acres, four permanent buildings and a fleet of mobile education vehicles. Programs range from education in state corrections facilities and the provision of interpreters for deaf and hearing impaired students in schools to home-based education for parents of toddlers and pre-schoolers and helping establish mentoring programs in communities.

Incorporated in 1975, Class Ltd. is a community services organization, offering a range of personal as well as social welfare programs and services for people with development disabilities. Located in Columbus, Kan., the organization serves persons with developmental disabilities in Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, and Montgomery counties in southeast Kansas. Its services include employment, community living, valued activities, family/individual supports for adults and children, host family, case management, transportation,\ and self-directed care payroll services. Class Ltd. is licensed as a community developmental disability service provider by the State of Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services. Additionally, the organization is the Commission on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) accredited.