St. Joseph Children's Home

Every child deserves safety, love, and support. We provide inclusive and compassionate care to ensure a safe home and a bright future for every child in our diverse community. 

Who We Are

St. Joseph Children’s Home was first established as the “St. Joseph Orphans Home” in 1849 by twelve local German-American Catholic parishes wishing to care for orphans whose parents had died in the cholera epidemic of 1832. St. Joe’s has evolved over the years to become a multifaceted, nonprofit child caring facility licensed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky with the mission of "Giving Children a Home."

St. Joe’s is no longer home to “orphans” but rather, children who have been removed from their homes because they have experienced severe abuse and neglect. St. Joe’s has consistently adapted to the needs of the community and now serves children and families across four core programs: Residential Treatment Program, Therapeutic Foster Care and Adoption Program, the Child Development Center, as well as Behavior Health Services. St. Joe’s serves children in all counties of Kentucky, regardless of nationality, sexual orientation, race, or creed. Since 1849, St. Joe’s has provided a safe and loving home to over 75,000 boys and girls.

We will not quit until every child has a family! Learn more at www.sjkids.org.

Residential Treatment Program:

• Provide stability and treatment for Kentucky’s most vulnerable children through trauma-informed care, individualized treatment plans, intensive therapy, education, therapeutic activities and a home-like environment. 
• Licensed to serve 48 children (ages 6-15) who have been removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect.
• Prepares children to be in a home again and our outcomes reflect that when a child leaves St. Joe’s, they join a safe and loving family.
• Majority of St. Joe’s kids transition into a foster family or pre-adoptive home, while almost 25% return to their parent or relative.

Therapeutic Foster Care and Adoption Program:

• Helps place children currently in the Kentucky foster care system with loving families.
• Recruits and trains foster care parents, and provides ongoing support for our kids and families.
• Helps find forever families for some of the children who live and go to school at St. Joe's. 
• Ensures kids and families have the resources they need to heal, grow, and thrive together.

Behavior Health Services:

• Provide our St. Joe’s families and the community with the emotional support they need to flourish. Our services include mental health therapy, targeted case management, and comprehensive community support services.
• Therapy services are designed to help the individual develop the knowledge, skills, and support necessary to manage mental health disorders, cultivate and sustain positive, meaningful relationships with peers, family members, and the community and develop self-efficacy.
  
  
• We accept most insurance providers and are bilingual.

A gift of any size makes a difference for our kids and so does your advocacy. Please consider making a gift today and help us provide safety and love to children and families across Kentucky.

St. Joe's is here to support our kids and families, thanks to wonderful friends like you. It truly takes a village and we thank you for being part of ours!

If you would like information on Foster Care and Adoption, another St. Joe's program, or other ways to make a transformational gift or leave a legacy for St. Joe's kids and families, email us at info@sjkids.org. 

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