We provide inclusive and compassionate care to ensure a safe home and bright future for every child in our diverse community. Joseph Children’s Home is a nonprofit child-caring facility licensed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky with the mission of "Giving Children a Home." Joe's was founded in 1849 by local German-American Catholic parishes wishing to care for orphans whose parents had died in the
cholera epidemic. Joe's has served over 75,000 boys and girls since its inception. Joe's serves approximately 1,500 children and family members each year across three core programs: Residential Treatment Program, Therapeutic Foster Care and Adoption Program, and the Child Development Center. Joe's serves children in all counties of Kentucky, regardless of nationality, race, or creed. The Residential Treatment Program is licensed to serve 48 children, ages 6-14 years old. The children who live at St. Joe's were removed from their biological homes due to experiencing significant abuse and neglect. On average, St. Joe's kids have lived in 12 different places (i.e.,
emergency shelters, psychiatric hospitals, residential facilities, and multiple foster homes) before arriving at St. Joe's. They live at the home for approximately one year before being placed into their forever homes. The children receive both individual and group therapy, participate in an array of fun and therapeutic activities, as well as attend JCPS public school while living at the home. Joe's averages 90% or higher at placing children in their forever homes while the state average is about 68%. The Therapeutic Foster Care and Adoption Program (TFC) serves approximately 52 children (infancy to 21 years old) each year who have also suffered from neglect, physical, mental, and/or sexual abuse. Joe's foster care and adoption team recruits and trains families to become foster parents while also providing 24/7 support to help meet the various needs of our foster families. Joe's continues to facilitate the largest number of adoptions of any private child-caring agency in the state and are growing bigger each year as more families are needed to give homes to the nearly 10,000 children in KY's foster care system. The Child Development Center (CDC) program is licensed by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, serving approx. 150 children, ages 6 weeks to 5 years old. We believe children develop into strong, independent, self-confident individuals when given the proper opportunities to stimulate their growth socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually. Children learn best by doing and by becoming active thinkers and experimenting through play. Through play, children have the chance to gain meaning from their environment. Our program offers quality preschool and trustworthy childcare. It is designed to help each child develop a strong sense of self-worth. We provide your child with a warm environment, filled with love, good physical care, and an atmosphere for learning. The CDC also has an amazing Enrichment Program focused on movement, music, art, and science.
