Milestones in Ryther Child Center’s History
1885 – Mother Ollie Ryther takes in neighbor’s orphan children.
1919 – Mother Ryther begins to raise funds for a new, larger home for children.
1920 – Mother Ryther and her children move into their new home at 4416 Stone Way.
1934 – Mother Ryther dies, and her home closes.
1935 – With help from Community Chest, the Home re-opens as Ryther Child Center with a mission of helping emotionally disturbed children. Lillian Johnson is the first Executive Director.
1936 – First Board of Trustees established. First League Charter “Four and Twenty Clubs” formed.
1940 – Ryther Child Center is incorporated.
1948 – “Four and Twenty Clubs” is formally organized into Ryther Child Center League.
1954 – Ryther Child Center League purchases a 10-acre site on 95th Street.
1957 – Ryther moves from Stone Way to present site on
95th Street. A capital campaign raises funds to build new
cottages and buildings.
1964 – Ryther’s on-campus, public Inter-Agency School is built.
1982 – Cottages and outdoor play pavilion built.
1983 – Substance Abuse treatment program launched
and first Chemical Dependency (CD) treatment cottage opens, making it the first certified inpatient program for adolescents in the state.
1991 – Ryther's Outpatient Mental Health is licensed as a state
community mental health center.
1995 – Residential treatment specializes to care for
abused and neglected children ages 6 to 12 with acting out behaviors in the Nest and A & D cottages. Ryther launches Chemical Dependency Outpatient treatment.
2000 – CD outpatient branch office opens in West Seattle.
2003 – Acute Stabilization Program opens to provide a place for children in crisis at 123rd Street cottage; Therapeutic Family Care (foster) program launched.