Charity receives grant to support Home’s Residential Treatment Center

Austin, TX –The Settlement Home for Children today announced it has received a $112,840 grant from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. The Home is a private, nonprofit, 24 hour care facility dedicated to the needs of abused and neglected children.

Founded in 1916, The Settlement Home for Children is one of Austin’s oldest charities. What started as a child care facility for poor working families has evolved over time to meet the ever changing needs of the community. The Home currently serves as a Residential Treatment Center, Therapeutic Group Home, and Foster Care and Adoption Program. The main goals are to break the cycle of abuse and violence in families, to nurture and heal the children and to send them into the world equipped to lead more productive lives.

“The Settlement Home for Children makes a significant contribution to this community every day with the work they do and the support they give to some of the most vulnerable children in our community,” said Zeynep Young, program director, Texas at the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. “We are proud to provide this grant to help The Settlement Home continue with the highest level of care and therapy available for the children, so that they can reintegrate into society as happier and healthier individuals.”

The grant funded by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation will provide the salaries for three experienced, certified, master-degreed Therapists/Supervisors. These therapists will provide 9500 hours of individual, group and family therapy to approximately 60 children entrusted to their care.

“The need for the type of care that the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation grant will provide is overwhelming. Annually, over 250 children are treated at the Settlement Home and even more are referred,” said Linda Addicks Kokemor, Director of The Settlement Home for Children. “With an on-campus school, as well as vocational, recreational ad therapeutic programs at a 1:4 staff to child ratio, these therapists not only help our children, but they also supervise and offer guidance to the rest of the staff.”

The Settlement Home is designed to help stop the movement of victimized children from placement to placement and to keep them with adults who are familiar with their needs. Strong and consistent relationships are the key to The Settlement Home’s success with emotionally distraught children.