How Kids Kottage BeganThe proud story of the Kids Kottage Foundation In 1995, evidence from the Child Abuse Team at the Alberta Children’s Hospital showed that child abuse and neglect was most often attributed to parents undergoing extreme stress. These parents had nowhere to turn for immediate help or support during a crisis. In response to this evidence, Kids Kottage, Edmonton’s first and only crisis prevention shelter, opened in 1995 with a mission to prevent child abuse and neglect before it became a way of life.
The Kottage first opened with six crisis beds and a full-time home visitation worker that provided follow-up service to families. Families were offered up to 72 hours of crisis care for children from birth up to the age of 11 years old, while parents were given follow-up counseling, support, and referrals to other needed services in the community. Families accessed the services of the crisis prevention shelter by way of the 24-hour crisis line, ran entirely by volunteers.
With the help of our supporters, Kids Kottage has become a trusted place where children are cared for and kept safe, while a source of relief and counsel for parents is made available as they resolve issues of crisis or distress. |