St Joseph's Peace Mission For Children provides:

Emergency Shelter for children, licensed by the State of Kentucky Cabinet for Families and Children

Is designated as the emergency shelter for the national Safe Place Project in Owensboro

Care for boys and girls age 18 and under

Can serve sibling gloups, pregnant children and children with children

Provide a nurturing, home-like environment

 

 

 

Welcoming All Children in Need

Situations leading to a child's placement are often complicated. Fortunately, state government agencies and processes are in place to ensure that all children, no matter how complicated their circumstances might be, can receive the help they need to be protected and nurtured appropriately.

Children are referred to the Mission by way of the Department of Community Based Services (DCBS), which is under the Protection and Permanency wing of the state's Cabinet for Families and Children, or through the Court Designated Worker (CDW) program, which is part of the Juvenile Services division within the Kentucky Department of Justice.

 
 
 

 

  
 

 

  

In the cases where a child is not abused or neglected, the child may be beyond control of their family or school, but is not a suitable candidate for juvenile detention. The Mission works with the child's caseworker to give the child and the family the break they need from the trouble at hand, as well as an opportunity to work through their problems in a systematic fashion.

Siblings from the same family can stay together at the Mission, which is not always possible in other placements. And, the Mission is the only residential facility in the area that will care for pregnant teens and teen mothers with their children.

Making a Connection

Staff members provide a safe, loving semblance of home life. Typically, this involves a predictable routine of school, homework, mealtimes, recreation and rest.

Staff members find it essential to connect with the children on some level, to give them hope of a better life and another chance. Some of these children do not have a lot of people who care about them - so the biggest impact a staff member can have is by showing the child how much she cares. Sometimes, for example, it can be as simple as taking the time to braid a girl's hair. The downtime in a typical day at the Mission can be the most rewarding, as children become more comfortable opening up and begin to feel that they can be themselves.

 

One of the Mission's most important roles is to give everyone in a child's life an opportunity to "get a sense of where they stand' as all determine what plan of action would be in the child's best interest. When each child is admitted to the mission, the staff works with them to set personal goals. For some, the goal is to return home, and for others, to a foster home. Some children can only set a simple goal like making it to a court date. Staff members then help them work toward their goal.

 
 

 

 
 

 

OUtdoor Wish List

You can also make a monetary donation now through PayPal:

 

 Please note: You may donate through PayPal even if you do not have a PayPal account. When the PayPal page loads, just click on the links to pay with a credit card. At the end of the process, you will have a choice of returning to the Peace Mission web site or creating a PayPal account. You may simply click on the link to return to our site or quit your browser.

 

  
             
 
     
St. Joseph's Peace Mission for Children
PO Box 1048 Owensboro, KY 42302
270-683-9441
site designed and maintained by Stoofenbaird Graphic Design