ORANGEBURG, S.C. — A children's home in Orangeburg is closing in the spring, but staff members are doing what they can to save it.
The Connie Maxwell Home provides care to eight children in Orangeburg.
These children have become separated from their families for many reasons. Now the home is scheduled to close in May.
“One little girl’s sleeping in the closet now. Another little girl’s having migraines. Little boy, you know they’re just doing things that are not normal for them. They’re confused. They’ve written letters, please keep the home open," said mental health therapist Martha Stewart.
Stewart provides therapy to the children at the home.
She goes on to say that staff was notified in August and told the plan was to sell the home, redirecting children to a new facility being built in Charleston.
According to a statement issued by Connie Maxwell Children's Ministries, “Over the past several years, extensive renovation and repair needs have become apparent at this location, likely costing hundreds of thousands of dollars to bring this campus up to our high standard of care. This coincided with a significant gift from a donor to start a Charleston campus, and we are now searching for the perfect property to extend Connie Maxwell to Charleston."
While the new home is being built, the plan is to send the children to other Connie Maxwell locations in Greenwood, Mauldin, Florence, and Chesterfield.
“We are retraumatizing them by moving them from the home and this time it’s gonna be different. It’s gonna be a different trauma because they’ve been secure in Orangeburg. They’ve been secure with the staff and the director," said Stewart.
Stewart helped create a petition with more than 700 signatures on Change.org requesting to keep the children together.
“Both Summerton and Orangeburg as well have invested in these children, have loved these children have nurtured these children.”