Formed by eight teenaged girls, the Sigma Gamma organization was created in 1904 for two purposes – camaraderie with friends and charitable work in the community.  Considering the high incidence of polio and tuberculosis in the Detroit area at the time, they focused their efforts on children with disabilities.

After several years of volunteering at various clinics and institutions, they established the Sigma Gamma Clinic (now The DIC) in 1920.  Two profound principles guided the clinic and the care it provided: service to the disabled community, regardless of the patients’ ability to pay and concentration on treating not just the disability, but the whole child.  As the clinic grew, it moved to its current location.  Because of the significant decline in diseases requiring long-term care, the Sigma Gammas developed an outpatient clinic that would in 1970 become The Detroit Institute for Children.  The DIC’s founding principles remain at the cornerstone of the organization today.

A comprehensive array of services and programs provide a continuum of care for children and young adults with physical, neurological or developmental disabilities.

The professional staff of The Detroit Institute for Children, including physicians, therapists, nurse practitioners, social workers, psychologists, and orthotists all take great pride in providing the highest quality care available. The emphasis of care is placed on treating the whole child, not just the disability, and working with the child’s family and caregivers to maximize his or her potential for independent functioning.

Whether a child’s condition is the result of a birth defect, illness or injury... whether a child is mildly involved or more severely affected... whether a child requires multiple weekly therapy sessions and equipment, or monitoring by a specialty physician only once or twice a year...The Detroit Institute for Children is here to help.