Gladney Center Announces Sale of Campus to FWISD

Gladney Center for Adoption
Wednesday, 23 June 1999

The Gladney Center announced the sale of its campus to the Fort Worth Independent School (FWISD) district today for the purpose of building a Kindergarten through 5th grade Montessori school for neighborhood children.

The 112 year-old Gladney Center, located at 2300 Hemphill, has agreed to sell its current campus to better serve the needs of its clients and to continue to fulfill the fundamental basis of Gladney's mission: benefiting children. Michael J. McMahon, president of the Gladney Center, cites the changing nature of adoption, and the increased maintenance costs of the campus as driving forces behind the sale. "FWISD's offer was unsolicited and came as a complete surprise," said Mr. McMahon. "However, we determined that under the right conditions, moving our campus would enable us to address the changing needs of our client base, namely birth parents and adoptive families."

The campus, the fifth location in the adoption agency's 112-year-history, will be sold in phases over a two- and-one-half year period. According to Mr. McMahon, this method will enable the staff and clients of the Center to move to a new setting easily. "We are pleased that the school district has agreed to phase the purchase of the campus in such a way as to provide the least disruption and smoothest transition possible for our staff and families," said McMahon.

While a new location has not been determined for the Center, a search for property in Fort Worth has been initiated. The board of directors is pleased to announce that a visitor's center and archives, will be housed on the new campus. This building will provide both memorial opportunities for past and present supporters and a place for families to visit and review their heritage of adoption.

Throughout its history, the Gladney Center for Adoption has placed more than 24,000 children (internationally and domestically) in forever homes and assisted more than 36,000 birth mothers. This move will allow Gladney to continue its legacy of serving birth mothers and adoptive parents while maintaining our commitment of creating bright futures for children in this country and around the world through the loving choice of adoption.

For more information, or to contact Gladney Center for Adoption, see their website at: www.ednagladney.org