St. John Bosco Child & Family Services

A Brief History of St. John Bosco Child & Family Services

Moved by the urgent need for supportive services for local youth and their families, New Paltz native Renee Fillette, a young mother of two, established St John Bosco as a haven for abused and neglected children in 2003.

St. John Bosco Child & Family Services is a private, 501 (c) (3) non-profit, non-sectarian and inter-racial agency providing children in the social services system with family-style residential living.  This agency holds the distinction of being the first such agency licensed in New York state in nearly a century.  We presently operate three family-style residences.  Each home serves up to 6 children.  The New Paltz home for boys was the first to open in 2003.  Thanks to a generous gift of a home by the Walden Savings Bank, the agency opened a home for girls in Walden in 2004.  In 2006, the agency opened its second home for boys, a sprawling 3,000 sq ft 1776 Wallkill farm house surrounded by pastures in a country setting.  

St. John Bosco Child & Family Services is dedicated to the philosophy that raising a healthy and successful child is based on unconditional love, and that negative conditions can be turned around.  We believe that children and their families can change to improve the course of their lives.  St. John's strives to help each child and their family reach their potential and to live together in an emotionally and physically healthy environment.

We welcome you to our site where you can learn more about the mission, vision and purpose of this agency!