Home of the Innocents

Childkind Center
* Children who have been abused, abandoned or neglected and typically are in the custody of the state are referred to the programs at the Home by social workers. Sometimes the kids have been in the system for a long time and have lived or received assistance at many different facilities. Many times, the best match between the children’s needs and a foster home or treatment place has not yet been made. Quite often the Home of the Innocents is a child’s first stop for evaluation and immediate care.

* Police bring kids to the Home if they are in a dangerous situation and need an immediate placement.

* Parents sometimes drop the kids off. This most often happens if the parents are homeless and would rather have their kids here than on the streets.

* The Home also provides what is called Private Board. These cases often involve a family or parent who doesn’t have the resources to provide for the basic needs of their child. In some instances a mother may be getting ready to have another child but does not have any family to care for her children while she is in the hospital. Or a parent may need to go into a drug rehabilitation program or into an intense therapy situation and needs someone to care for their children while they are going through therapy.

Kosair Charities Pediatric Convalescent Center
Children, who are medically fragile, come to live with us after the parents/guardians make the decision to have them become part of the family in the Kosair Charities Pediatric Convalescent Center. These children have a chronic or terminal illness typically with severe physical and/or developmental challenges and are in need of the 24-hour medical care we provide.

How many children are served by Home of the Innocents?
On an average day, the Home provides programs and services to about 250 children.

Childkind Center
We provide both residential and community based services to children, ages infant to 18-plus. Children receiving care at our children’s village include those who have been removed from their homes and are currently part of our residential program. And at the Cralle Day House we also provide residential services to pregnant and parenting teens who themselves have extensive case histories of abuse and neglect.

Still many other children are being helped by the Home throughout the community.

We have social workers who are in homes every day helping families deal with many issues. In the past year, we have expanded those services to provide in-school and in-home support to children with autism. We also are actively seeking and working with foster parents throughout the metro area. Our Aftercare program helps young adults make the transition into the “real world.” And H.O.S.T. House (located in LaGrange, Kentucky) provides residential therapy services to teens living in the Henry, Oldham , Shelby and Trimble county areas.

Kosair Charities Pediatric Convalescent Center
Currently, the Kosair Charities Pediatric Convalescent Center is licensed through a Certificate of Need, issued by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, for 46 medically fragile children. This is not adequate to meet the pressing needs because the Home has 25 to 30 medically fragile children on a waiting list..

How long does a child usually stay at the Home of the Innocents?

Childkind Center
The duration of a child’s stay in our Childkind Center depends on that child’s situation. We have had kids living with us for as long as two years and some are only here a few hours or days. In general teenagers tend to stay longer because they are more difficult to place in foster care than the younger kids.

Kosair Charities Pediatric Convalescent Center
Children in our Kosair Charities Pediatric Convalescent Center may stay with us from birth until age 21.

What is a typical day like for the kids at the Home?

Childkind Center
A child's day here is much like any other child's day. During the school year the kids get up, have breakfast and if they live in Jefferson County go to school at their home school if that is safe or appropriate. . If they are from outside Jefferson County, the Home has an on-site classroom staffed by a Jefferson County teacher. The kids then come home, do homework, do chores, have playtime, eat dinner and do an evening activity before going to bed.

On the weekends, the children are involved in activities and have chores to do. We provide the children with an array of activities ranging from educational, cultural, social and physical activities. The kids may go to a museum or see a play. They may just go to the movies, roller skating or swimming. Sometimes, like other children and families, we stay home and make our own fun in the backyard – playing games, cooking out, riding bikes or working in the garden.

During the summers, all the kids participate in mandatory summer school. It is not just an educational summer school, but provides the children with opportunities throughout the community.

Kosair Charities Pediatric Convalescent Center
The kids generally start their day with breakfast and then enjoy a variety of activities such as school, playtime, therapy time, and group activities throughout the day. They receive medical care and personal care throughout the day but the focus is on being a kid - playing and enjoying life despite their disabilities.

How is the Home funded?
Home of the Innocents is fortunate to have the support of many companies, organizations and community-minded individuals, as well as, state and federal funding. We rely on their support every day. As you can imagine, it takes a lot of resources to provide services to over 250 children per day. The need for our services continues to grow. Many of our programs have waiting lists and increased funding is the only way we can meet those needs.

How Can I help the Home?

There are many ways you can help make a difference in a child’s life:

Make a donation – Being a non-profit agency, we rely on the generosity of those who believe in providing all children with the very best in care. You can make a gift right now, by visiting our online giving page. You can also mail donations to: Home of the Innocents, 1100 East Market Street, Louisville, KY 40206. If you have any questions about making a gift to the Home, please email us or call Linda Medley at 502.596.1032. And if you are interested in making a gift that will last a lifetime, visit our Planned Giving Page.

Donate Material Needs – In a year, the Home will use nearly 70,000 diapers, over 2,000 bottles of shampoo and nearly as many tubes of toothpaste. Beyond that, we have need for clothing, toys, car seats and more. Visit our Wish List page to find out what are current needs are.

Volunteer – Whether you are looking to be a mentor to one of teens in crisis, have the energy to help us look after our toddlers, or want to help out at a special event, there is always room for another volunteer. Learn more about our Volunteer Program.

Help us Lobby – As part of our mission, we are always looking for ways to address issues that affect children. Often, that means addressing our state/federal government to make them aware of certain issues and lobby them to do what is best in the interest of children.

Become a foster parent - Right now there are about 7,000 children in Kentucky who need foster placement. Our Therapeutic Loving foster Care program offers full and part time opportunities to help fill this special need. If you would like to know more about our program, click here, email us or call 502.995.4402.