Survivors of abuse and neglect have a new friend to lean on in their time of need. Today, Kosair for Kids helped welcome Family & Children’s Place’s (FCP) newest team member, Kai, a goldendoodle trained to help survivors of abuse and neglect. Kai will support FCP’s multidisciplinary team and be prepared to help kids at a moment's notice. A $150,000 Kosair for Kids grant funded Kai’s arrival, the continuation of facility dog support needed as FCP’s current support dog, Emmie, is set to retire later this year after serving nearly 3,000 children over almost a decade of service.
“We hope that Kai’s companionship at a child’s most traumatizing moment will open the door for the healing work done by the rest of the amazing staff at Family & Children’s Place,” said Barry Dunn, President and CEO of Kosair for Kids. “No child should face these situations alone, and Kosair for Kids is proud to help fund efforts that guarantee a loving community is there when they need it most.”
In addition to continuing facility dog support, the $150,000 Kosair for Kids Grant provides FCP with funding for an Education & Training Coordinator, who will help educate and engage community members to act against child abuse and neglect, and funds to provide community training. The grant will also fund the Health Access and Nurturing Development Services (HANDS) Program, which supports families through pregnancy and child development and offers multilingual services throughout Jefferson County.
“Families walk through our doors during some of the most difficult times in their lives,” said Elea Fox, CEO of Family & Children’s Place. Healing can begin when children are met with compassion and support. Our facility dog program has helped over 3,000 children to date receive the comfort and security they needed, while also being a healing force in supporting our staff as they walk alongside those families. The leadership for Kosair for Kids is critical to providing our community with the support, safety, and access that they need. This grant is allowing for staffing, program access, public education, and so much more.”
FCP has provided vital services to our community for nearly 150 years. FCP and Kosair for Kids have partnered for almost 40 years. Since 1996, Kosair for Kids has granted more than $4.7 million to support FCP’s efforts to protect and heal children from child abuse and neglect. The latest Kosair for Kids funding bolsters efforts to ensure our community’s most vulnerable children receive the care and support they need to heal.
“I was once a child who received services at Family & Children’s Place in my darkest times, going through childhood sexual abuse at the hands of my paternal grandfather,” said survivor and advocate, Katya Estes. “When organizations like Family & Children’s Place and Kosair for Kids unite in helping children (once like me) receive services as soon as they enter those doors, it not only bridges the gaps for stronger supportive networks in the communities, it also helps kids know that there are safe people out there, that provide safe spaces, and will protect them, stand by their side and support them every step of the way. They are certainly heroes in my journey.”
Family & Children’s Place is one of 91 organizations benefiting from $15 million in Kosair for Kids Grants during the 2025-2026 grant cycle. These organizations work to provide healthcare, end child abuse and neglect, find breakthrough treatments through research, and deliver much-needed educational and social service opportunities to at-risk children. A complete list of 2025-2026 Kosair for Kids Grants is available online: kosair.org/kosair-news/2025-2026-kosair-for-kids-grants