Ariel was established in 1994 by Kregg Thornburg, as a private, non-profit, 501(c) (3) Child Placement Agency in Grand Junction, CO. Kregg was a special education teacher in Mesa County.
Kregg had a passion and commitment to children, that others found difficult to manage. He loved to think outside the box and take a creative approach to helping kids challenged by their life’s circumstances.
Kregg did not want to see children sent to institutions and had a vision to provide non-traditional approaches and do whatever it took to keep children in their communities and out of institutions. Kregg’s drive to help these children led him to the therapeutic foster care model and the beginning of Ariel Clinical Services. Kregg passed away in 2003 of Lou Gehrig’s disease but his legacy lives on today.
Children started to emancipate out of the foster care system but often did not have a place to go or a family they could return to. They needed continued services and a provider who could offer a continuum of care. Ariel’s vision expanded and grew as a result.
Ariel became an Adult Services Agency in 2004.
- Supervised Family Time
- CSS Program for at-risk youth & IDD Adults
- Site Based Therapy
- Adoption
- Vocational Training & Day Program for IDD Adults
