St. Edmond’s Home was founded in 1916 by Archbishop Edmond Prendergast under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The Archbishop encouraged the Philadelphia Catholic Community to establish a home to meet the needs of children affected by the polio epidemic. The home originated at 44th Street and Haverford Avenue in Philadelphia and was formally dedicated on December 8, 1916, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception. The home was administered by the Sisters of Bon Secours whose order was founded for the purpose of caring for the sick. St. Edmond’s was the first Catholic home of its kind in America. As polio was eradicated St. Edmond’s focused on caring for children with intellectual and physical disabilities.
In 1956, the original home was replaced by a larger home in Rosemont, Radnor Township; the beautiful campus could now offer a multi-sensory environment and state-of-the-art facilities and equipment. In 1987 St. Edmond’s Home was licensed as an Intermediate Care Facility/Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/ID) by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Today, St. Edmond’s serves children diagnosed with severe and profound disabilities who are also very medically fragile. Committed staff, sensitive to the needs of each of the 44 precious children, carry on the fine tradition of compassionate, quality care. This tradition is a tribute to the legacy of the Sisters of Bon Secours, the Sisters of Mercy and the Daughters of Saint Mary of Providence who staffed the facility over the years.