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St. John Bosco Child and Family Services was inspired by the children and families whose needs exhaust the foster care system and whose lives revolve in cycles of crisis. Even with myriad social services available, still issues of violence, substance abuse, mental illness and poverty permeate the intimate relationships between parent and child, leaving children to exist on the fringe of deplorable conditions and sometimes death. I founded St. John's in 2003 with the intention of meeting the needs of these children and families by embracing them without judgment, serving without conditions, and forging relationships that ignite resilience within. The plan was to open one home where a small number of children could safely live apart from their families, heal, and ultimately return to their families again. The project grew quicker than expected with an outpouring of support from the community, and a rapid expansion to three houses in four years.
The current mission of the agency remains the exceptional care and treatment of 'Hard to Place' children in foster care with the underlying belief that every child can be helped. It is to restore the joy and vitality of childhood in children who have not been afforded this basic right, and to transform maladaptive behaviors into resilience. St. John's strives to approach the entire family with dignity and compassion, and to teach skills that provide an opportunity for change and growth, ultimately resulting in reunification. The vision of the agency is to be at the industries cutting edge, setting trends and defining what's next by continually exploring new ways of thinking based on how to best serve our families and children. St. John's aims to be a place where people enjoy working, where they feel and see that they are making a difference.
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