About KID

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.  

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

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

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.