Penfield Children's Center

Penfield Children’s Center is named in honor of Dr. Wilder Penfield (1891-1976), a world-renowned neurosurgeon who strongly advocated early intervention for children with developmental delays and disabilities. His quote, “Never underestimate the capacity of the very young, and never, never let them down,” has been the foundation of Penfield’s mission since 1967. His knowledge and wisdom underlie our philosophy of care for infants and young children. Today, serving more than 1,500 children annually, Penfield offers high-quality, integrated services and a safe and stimulating environment for children, families, and community partners to maximize early development and learning.

The Behavior Clinic at Penfield Children’s Center provides treatment services to children 6 years of age and younger who have behavior and emotional challenges. A partnership between Penfield and Marquette University, the Behavior Clinic is the only program of its kind in Milwaukee offering family-centered, in-home treatment sessions that address issues very early in a child’s development to help prevent serious mental health issues from developing in the future. 

In March 2020, the Behavior Clinic transitioned our in-home therapy to new telehealth services due to COVID-19. Through video calls and phone calls, our therapists coach parents/guardians on strategies to reduce their children’s disruptive behaviors and establish positive daily routines. As we begin to safely resume in-home services, the Behavior Clinic will create a new program model that meets families’ needs by offering accessible in-person and telehealth services. Our telehealth options are beneficial for families who have children with severe medical concerns, prefer early evening appointments, need to cancel sessions due to family illnesses, or would like a virtual check-in between in-home sessions.