Wissahickon home now an oasis for homeless moms and kids

THE ANCIENT STONE mansion, high on a hill along Ridge Avenue in Wissahickon, began life as the Northern Home for Friendless Children.

But as the public can see at today's open house, the re-christened Northern Children's Services is a modern residential godsend for homeless teenage mothers and their kids.

Its parklike campus on Ridge Avenue near Lauriston Street - open to the public today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. - houses a Sesame Street-themed day-care center for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old.

The day care serves residents who live on campus as well as families in Wissahickon, Roxborough, Manayunk, East Falls and other neighboring communities.

Merrick Hall, which underwent a total makeover in July, has new rooms and apartments for homeless teenage mothers with one or two children, fully furnished by Ikea, that are as dazzling as one of the major funders - rock star Jon Bon Jovi, who also financed a state-of-the-art playground.

Brittney Chokpelle, 18, who has been living at Northern Children's Services since her 3-year-old son Rashee was 2 days old, tearfully thanked the support staff after graduating on time from Strawberry Mansion High School in June.

"Who would have thought that strangers would extend so much unconditional love and support to my son and I?" she asked.

The campus also provides a full range of behavioral health and child-welfare services - all of which are community-anchored.

"There was a time when, if little Johnny lived in South Philly, he might end up in foster care in West Philly or in one of the counties," said Augustine Keirans, director of the child welfare division.

"That meant, besides being separated from his parent, there was the added stress of being separated from his community, his youth baseball or basketball team, his church, his best friend, his aunt who lived down the street."

By finding foster care within a child's community, Keirans said, Northern Children's Services nurtures "a sense of security and safety" even in children who have been traumatized by abuse.

"We can keep kids from birth to 18 in their own neighborhood," said Kia Butler, director of foster care.

She said Northern Children's Services even offers daily after-school sessions of therapy and tutoring for children with behavioral health diagnoses.

That ancient stone mansion on the hill has come a long way from its "Northern Home for Friendless Children" days. Dozens of teenage mothers and young children are living on that tree-lined campus today - and none of them are friendless.