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About Chileda > History
Mission Commitment | History | People | Location

Chileda was founded in 1973 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Although the staff was small in number, their positive vision was broad and ambitious. Soon, the word got out that a special program was being developed solely to help youngsters with multiple disabilities and the program grew quickly.

Chileda opened the doors of its first La Crosse facility on the Franciscan Skemp/Mayo Health System campus in 1980. In 2006, Chileda moved to its current and permanent home on Victory Street in La Crosse.

Over the years, Chileda has maintained a positive, productive living and learning experience for our students. These efforts continue to be recognized in our community, as well as nationwide, as a model of compassionate care for children and young adults diagnosed with a developmental disabilities.

Chileda has received national accolades, which include being named one of President George Herbert Walker Bush's "Thousand Points of Light," receiving Franciscan Health Care System's "Spheres of Influence" award, National Accreditation by the Accreditation Council for People with Disabilities, and the Governor's Diamond Award by the Wisconsin Glass Ceiling Commission.

In 2006, Chileda was honored as a Site of Excellence by the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) at the 12th International Instructor’s Conference in St. Louis, Missouri.Chileda received the award for an initiative to reduce the use of restrictive techniques; developing proven strategies for resolving situations when confronted by anxious, hostile, or violent behavior, while always protecting the therapeutic relationships with those in their care.

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Chileda 1825 Victory Street
La Crosse, WI 54601