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About KID

A KID Timeline

1976

Kids In Distress is founded by community volunteers and the Junior league of Greater Fort Lauderdale as a shelter for the youngest victims of child abuse.
1976

1979

KID is officially established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to provide early intervention and treatment for abused, abandoned and neglected children.
1979

1981

The Kids in Distress Crisis Home Shelter opens, offering 24-hour emergency care for abused and neglected children.
1981

1983

KID’s Therapeutic Preschool opens, to provide abused and at-risk children with a school-readiness curriculum plus therapeutic programs to address special needs.
1983

1984

The KID Auxiliary is formed, an all-volunteer group that supports the work of KID through public awareness activities, volunteer services and fundraising.
1984

1990

KITES, the KID Infant and Toddler Emergency Shelter, opens – becoming one of the only 24-hour emergency shelters accepting abused, neglected or abandoned infants and newborns, including substance-exposed babies.
1990

1992

The Family Counseling Clinic at Kids in Distress opens. This community-based resource is the beginning of KID’s work using specific clinical services designed to meet the individual needs of the children and families served in our programs.
1992

1999

Kids In Distress launches the Supported Foster Care & Adoption programs to recruit, train and support foster, adoptive and respite families.
1999

2000

The new, five-acre Kids In Distress campus opens in Wilton Manors. Also in 2000, Healthy Families is launched, designed to support families before abuse begins.
2000

2001

Kid’s Family Intervention, Response and Support Team (FIRST) is formed, an extended, in-home family strengthening program to help keep stability in the home.
2001

2002

Due to the success of the Supported Foster Care/Adoption Programs, KID is invited to expand its work into Palm Beach County.
2002

2003

Palm Beach County office opens. KID continues to recruit and train foster families through the Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MApp).
2003

2005-2007

More new programs added: Infant Mental Health Services, Healthy Start, Kinship Support, Safe Visitation Services, and Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten.
2005-2007

2008-2009

KID’s Preschool Program opens to all children in the community.
2008-2009

2009-2010

Kids In Distress officially adopts and begins using its new logo.
2009-2010

2010-2011

The new KID Dental Clinic opens in collaboration with Nova Southeastern University. This state-of-the-art pediatric dental clinic provides dental care to children who have no other access to these services. Also on KID’s Wilton Manors campus, Nova Southeastern opens The Eye Care Institute – offering low-cost eye exams, glasses and other general eye care services to the public.
2010-2011

2013

Due to the incredible recruiting and training success of our Supported Foster Care program, KID was able to close the emergency shelter because children were able to enter a loving and safe community home.  
2013

2013

KID opened our Foster Family Group Homes on the main campus to welcome and keep sibling groups together.
2013

2018

The 4-acre KID West Campus was launched as an expansion to the success of our Foster Family Group Home model.
2018

2019

KID joined forces with Family Central Inc. creating the largest continuum of care for South Florida children and families. Learn more about Family Central, Inc, here.
2019
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