St. Catherine's Center for Children

St. Catherine's provides a wide array of services for children and families dealing with the issues of abuse, neglect, homelessness and mental illness. While the children and families we serve may come to us for different reasons, they all share a history of trauma which St. Catherine's addresses in our programs and services.

Our five core programs include:

St. Catherine's Residential Program provides treatment and 24-hour supervised care for children ages 5 to 13 who have been removed from the homes of their parent(s) or guardian(s) due to neglect, abuse, or other unsafe conditions. Children in our Residential Program receive therapeutic treatment to address the traumatic events that have negatively affected their lives.

St. Catherine's R & E May School is a special education elementary school for children who have behavioral and educational needs that cannot be met in a traditional school setting. Each student entering the program undergoes an individual assessment to determine his or her needs, and comprehensive educational services are tailored accordingly.

St. Catherine's Marillac Family Homeless Shelter provides temporary residence and supplemental services to families who have lost their homes. Marillac, Albany County's only shelter designed exclusively for families, not only offers shelter for the homeless, but also provides advocacy and assistance to address conflicts and issues that lead to homelessness. It houses 24 families at a time for up to a six month period.

St. Catherine's Community Based Services/Prevention Program is designed to preserve family life and equip at-risk families with the skills they need to function in today's world. The purpose of these counseling and support services is to prevent families from being separated.

St. Catherine's Therapeutic Family Foster Care Program serves special needs children, from pre-school through adolescence, who require foster care in a therapeutic setting. Children in the program are identified and matched with professionally trained foster families who provide a consistent, predictable and nurturing home environment to help a child learn and grow.