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What Does KVC Mean? How Do We Help You?

kvc mean

Ever wondered what KVC does? What the letters KVC mean? How we help you? That’s awesome! We love answering these questions because they give us the opportunity to share the story of how a small group of women helped children in need grow into an organization that helps thousands of children and family every day.

But first…

What Does KVC West Virginia Do?

KVC West Virginia is a nonprofit behavioral healthcare and child welfare organization that provides support when a child has suffered abuse or neglect. We also provide treatment and therapy services for families facing mental health challenges.

Click here to learn how you can join our innovative team!

New children enter the foster care system each year. It’s KVC West Virginia’s mission is to find compassionate families who can help children in need by fostering or adopting. We guide those interested families every step of the way by providing training, resources and much more.

In addition, KVC West Virginia provides two types of therapy which families receive right in their homes: medically-necessary services and socially-necessary services. Medically-necessary services are therapies that give children and families the tools needed to maintain healthy, stable relationships and are administered by a professional therapist using the latest advancements in treatment approaches. Socially-necessary services provide individualized parenting training, life skills, transportation and more for individuals.

What Does KVC Mean?

The organization that is now KVC West Virginia was previously called Action Youth Care. We have deep roots in West Virginia, going back to 1970.

In 2001, Action Youth Care became part of KVC Health Systems and changed its name. Now as KVC West Virginia, we have built on AYC’s legacy of providing foster care and other children’s services.

KVC Health Systems started in the Kansas City area with a group of passionate women — also in 1970. They made it their mission to help children in the community. Eventually they were able to pool their resources and buy a home for adolescent boys in need. Expansion came during the 80s and 90s. It was originally called Wyandotte House, then Kaw Valley Center (KVC) to reflect the increasing amount of covered territories. Kaw Valley refers to land surrounding the Kansas River. Eventually, KVC became one of the best child welfare organizations specializing in behavioral healthcare in the country. Later, the name “Kaw Valley Center” was replaced with KVC Health Systems to better represent expansion into several other states including West Virginia.

While KVC no longer stands something specific, we like to think that what we “stand for” includes:

  • Knowledge – With years of experience helping children and families under our belt, we know what kinds of treatments work for individuals who have experienced trauma. Our approach to treatment is rooted in research and backed up by real examples of success.
  • Values – We have many values that shape not only our culture but how we approach every child and family we serve. These include sayings such as, “Excellence is not an act; it’s a habit,” “Treat every child as your own,” and many more. Our values help us frame every decision with urgency in order to pursue what’s best for each child and family.
  • Connections – The most essential needs of any person, child or adult, are to be safe and connected. Safe means living in safe environment free from harm, and connected means having supportive, nurturing relationships with people. At KVC, we focus on building connections for children who need foster or adoptive parents, as well as for adults who need behavioral healthcare support.

How Does KVC West Virginia Help You?

There are more than 400,000 children in the U.S. foster care system right now. KVC West Virginia works day and night to enrich the lives of children in need right here in our state. By finding caring families and doing everything we can to support these children, KVC West Virginia is building towards a brighter future and –  ultimately –  a better, thriving community that benefits every individual within it. If you’d like to join us in our mission, we welcome you to fosterdonate, volunteer or check out our career opportunities.

Ever wondered what you need to look for when choosing a foster care agency? This free eBook is the ultimate resource for finding the best agency to support you in your foster parenting journey. Click the image to download it now!

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