Thames Valley Children's Centre has a history of helping children and families look beyond disability. Changing needs of children with disabilities, changing knowledge in medicine and rehabilitation, and changes in society have inspired a flexible, responsive service.

Established in 1949, as the London and District Crippled Children's Treatment Centre, Thames Valley Children’s Centre was born out of services provided at Woodeden Camp near London Ontario to children with infantile paralysis (polio). Treatment with physical therapy and nursing care was limited to spring and summer. For specialized services and assessment, children and families travelled to Toronto. A concerned community was determined to provide a comprehensive local resource and service closely linked with London's emerging medical science community and the Children's Hospital of Western Ontario (then the War Memorial Children's Hospital). The first Board of Directors planned a facility with specialized medical staff, teachers and therapists. By 1951, the Centre had moved from the camp location and was operating out of its own facility on Hill Street next to the Children's Hospital. It was the first rehabilitation centre of its kind in the province. Today, Thames Valley Children’s Centre is one of 19 members of the Ontario Association of Children's Rehabilitation Services.

As polio disappeared, the Centre developed innovative programming for the treatment of children with asthma, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, haemophilia, cleft lip and palate, muscular dystrophy and developmental delay. Special schools for children with disabilities were initiated. In the 1970's, the Centre's name change from London and District Crippled Children's Treatment Centre to Thames Valley Children's Centre reflected a shift in societal attitudes about individuals with disabilities and the growth of regional responsibilities.

Today the Centre is located in a state-of-the-art facility on Base Line Road near the Children's Hospital of Western Ontario and the London Health Sciences Centre, Victoria Campus. From this location, constructed through generous donations, Thames Valley Children’s Centre serves more than 5,500 children and young adults with disabilities each year. Through our own specialized services and in partnership with other agencies, the Centre ensures that children with disabilities are served and supported from birth to young adulthood. The Centre's medical clinics, backed by the investigative resources of Children's Hospital, serve patients from all over the region.

The Centre has been responsible for many innovations -- the first multi-specialty; multi-disciplinary clinic for individuals with spina bifida in Canada; the first program providing continuity of treatment for neurosurgical patients and children with closed head injuries; and a pioneering change to program management. The Centre is part of a province-wide research consortium associated with CanChild, the Centre for Childhood Disability Research Unit at McMaster University. The Motion Analysis laboratory maintains Thames Valley Children’s Centre's position at the forefront of North American children's rehabilitation. In addition to its service and research roles, the Centre is affiliated with the University of Western Ontario and provides both practical experience and formal instruction for all the relevant health care, rehabilitation and social science professions including medicine.

Thames Valley Children's Centre’s work today and plans for tomorrow are guided by the needs of the children and families we serve. Through the many changes and the many more to come, we are supported by a generous community. A dedicated Auxiliary and service clubs like the Rotary and Kiwanis direct tremendous resources towards the specialized care offered by the Centre. As well, individuals and groups throughout the region recognize and contribute to the lives of children who want to be their best. In turn, these children and their families provide the people of Thames Valley Children's Centre with inspiration to grow, change, improve, and strive to be more -- to be their best.