In 1968 Kerr began recruiting and training foster families. Today Kerr is a leader in providing safe and caring homes for foster children with emotional challenges. Kerr’s Foster Care programs focus on healing for the child, support and training for foster families and reuniting families when possible.
In Kerr’s Therapeutic Foster Care program many of the 33 children served last year came from homes where they were abused. As a result of this trauma, they often have emotional challenges that require special services and therapy. Staff train and provide a wide range of 24-hour support to foster families. Care is also focused on reuniting the child with their birth families when it is safe and appropriate. Kerr successfully reunited 29 percent of the children with their birth parents and another 16 percent with adoptive parents or relatives.
Kerr’s Special Needs Foster Care program currently provides long-term homes and care for 26 children who have both developmental disabilities and mental health challenges. These children tend to remain in foster care for a longer period of time and are less likely to be reunited with their birth parents or be adopted. The program focuses on extensive support of the foster families to care for these children that have many challenging needs. Kerr staff provides skills training for children as they began transition to self-sufficiency as an adult.
The mission of the Foster/Proctor Program is to be the premier provider of high quality care in family settings for children who have experienced abuse, neglect, or have a developmental disability and/or mental health challenges.
We believe the most natural setting for a child is in a loving, stable, and safe family environment to meet their short-term and long-term needs as important members of the community.