WATERVILLE — Maine Children’s Home (MCH), a 122-year-old nonprofit that provides a variety of programs for supporting families and children, is launching a new brand identity on Thursday, August 26, 2021. This “new look” is the result of a thoughtful two-year-long process with a goal of strengthening the public’s understanding of MCH and the variety of services that the organization provides, according to MCH, in a news release. The launch will introduce a new system of logos for MCH and its programs, new primary program names, and refreshed top-level messaging for the organization and its programs.

“We’ve evolved over the past 122 years,” said MCH Executive Director Rick Dorian. “We’re so proud of our history of once being a refuge for homeless Maine children, and we’re also very proud of our growth. This ‘new look’ not only presents a hopeful and respectful message, but it truly reflects our warm and compassionate spirit, our focus on relationships and connection, and the vibrance of our supportive community. Each of our services and supports help Maine children to live in safer, happier, and healthier homes.”

Founded in April of 1899, MCH began as an orphanage. Today, the organization is not a physical home for children, but a home base for family-focused programs with a mission to build and strengthen families through the following services:

Accredited adoption services that meet the Hague international standards for adoption

State-licensed outpatient mental health counseling

Professional and community support and education for pregnant and parenting teens

Winter essentials to families facing financial hardship during the holidays

Trust-based and trauma-focused trainings for families, caregivers, and educators

A major goal of the rebrand is to move away from images and language that allude to the idea of MCH being an orphanage. The original MCH logo depicts the silhouettes of two children standing in a doorway, which no longer represents the breadth of MCH services. The new logo is an abstract and more inclusive image that introduces warm colors and three celebratory figures that could be interpreted as being children, teenagers, adults, or a family — the range of people MCH serves. For marketing materials moving forward, MCH will use only its shortened name — “Maine Children’s Home” — instead of its longer legal name — “Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers” — which suggests the idea of a refuge for children.

The brand identity launch will also introduce new primary names and taglines for its five core programs:

Family Adoption Program (Also known as the George J. & Mary S. Mitchell Adoption Unit)
“Providing a lifetime of services for birth parents and adoptive families”

Family Counseling Center (Also known as the Harland A. Turner Family Counseling Center)
“Guiding toward hope, healing, and wholeness”

Teen Parent Education Program (Also known as the Sharon Abrams Teen Parent Education Program)
“Helping teen parents build a foundation for their future”

Connected Families Project
“Offering powerful, accessible tools to help strengthen families”

Christmas Program
“Sharing joy and winter warmth with kids and families”

MCH plans to officially unveil their new logo and new road sign in front of their campus at 93 Silver Street, Waterville, Maine later in September.

More information about MCH’s rebrand and programs can be found on the Maine Children’s Home website at MaineChildrensHome.org on August 26, 2021.

About Maine Children’s Home

As one of the oldest incorporated nonprofits in the state of Maine, Maine Children’s Home (MCH) is a 501(c)(3) organization that offers programs for building and strengthening families and their children, instilling hope for the future and a better quality of life. Founded in 1899, the Waterville-based organization has evolved with the changing needs of families and children, and supports more than 3,000 people each year through five core programs: Family Adoption Program, Family Counseling Center, Teen Parent Education Program, Connected Families Project, and Christmas Program.

More information about MCH’s programs and its history can be found at MaineChildrensHome.org.