About KVC Health Systems

KVC Health Systems is a family of private, nonprofit organizations that strengthen families, prevent child abuse and neglect, and help people achieve mental health wellness. Through our broad continuum of care, we are proud to be a national leader in mental health, child welfare, and health and human services transformation.

KVC Health Systems structure of nonprofit subsidiaries

We Are KVC:

Check out our “We Are KVC” video above to get to know us. For nearly 200 years, we have provided heart-centered service to children and families in need. While KVC was founded in 1970, we stand on the shoulders of pioneering children’s charities from the early 1800s that integrated over time to become today’s KVC.

Today our team is 2,700 professionals strong across Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, West Virginia, and beyond. We’re among the top 1% of employers in the U.S. who have achieved an ultra-rare Work Wellbeing score of 82 on Indeed, showing KVC is an exceptional place to work. Learn more about our workplace culture of belonging and growth, as well our commitment to employee engagement.

Thanks to our team and supporters, KVC positively impacts nearly 80,000 people’s lives every year through in-home family strengthening services, foster care, adoption, mental health treatment, and inpatient children’s psychiatric treatment. Whether you are looking to connect to mental health or family services, or want to connect to a meaningful purpose by supporting our mission, we’re so glad you’re here.

What Does KVC Do?

At KVC, we help families in crisis with personalized plans that give them the support, skills and resources to be strong and happy. We help people experiencing mental health needs or even a mental health crisis with caring treatment so they can embrace their worth, build resilience and thrive.

We provide 24/7 support to children who have experienced abuse and neglect, and partner with caring relatives and foster families so they can heal from unimaginable trauma. We work to find children forever families through adoption. We help people who long for more in life by giving them a path to experience the joy of parenthood and helping children.

We also help health and human service agencies excel at caring for families with the most complex needs through a proven model that improves health, outcomes and costs. Learn about our consulting on child welfare and behavioral health, or consulting for managed care organizations and primary health.

Where Does KVC Work?

KVC has over 65 locations in Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, and West Virginia. See our locations here or contact us. Our headquarters is in Olathe, Kansas in the greater Kansas City area. We also provide training and consultation around the world.

KVC Health Systems map of locations

Learn more about our local community teams:

Watch a short video about our impact in people’s lives and check out our latest 2024 KVC Impact Report.

We also partner with many national and local organizations. See KVC’s partners and affiliations. We partnered with Children’s Mercy Kansas City to build a 72-bed inpatient psychiatric hospital and mental wellness campus in Olathe, Kansas. We’ve also partnered with St. Louis Children’s Hospital to build a children’s mental wellness campus in the St. Louis region.

What is KVC’s Vision, Mission & Values?

Our Vision: A world in which every person is safe and connected to a strong family and a healthy community.

Our Mission: To enrich and enhance the lives of children and families by providing medical and behavioral healthcare, social services and education.

What We Value:

  • The heart of our work is helping people.
  • Our character is built on authenticity and compassion.
  • Family connection drives our culture.
  • Collaboration fuels our improvement.
  • Urgency and innovation mark our approach.
  • Diverse perspectives are key to our progress.
  • Always asking ourselves, “What would you want for your child?”

Our Commitment to Non-Discrimination

As a child and family serving organization, KVC commits to treating every person with compassion and respect. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or military status.

We recognize that families come from many different walks of life, and we are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels valued and supported. By fostering a culture of understanding and collaboration, we aim to provide the highest quality services to children, adults, and families in the communities we serve.

KVC is proud to serve individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. We also believe that having a workforce that reflects the communities we serve helps us better meet the needs of families, giving equal opportunity to all. When people feel respected and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives, we can work together to create stronger families and healthier communities.

What does KVC stand for?

The KVC Story book by Wayne Sims KVC Health Systems“KVC” originally stood for Kaw Valley Center and was a single home founded by volunteers to help at-risk boys in downtown Kansas City, Kansas. Since 1970, the organization has expanded thousands of miles beyond the Kaw Valley region, serving children and families in five states (Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Kentucky and West Virginia) and even beyond U.S. borders. Today, the letters are no longer an acronym, but a way to think about what drives the organization forward as an international leader in behavioral healthcare, child welfare, and community health and wellness: Knowledge, Values and Connections. Read this article to learn more.

In more than 50 years, KVC has had just two CEOs, showing long tenure and continuity in leadership. After his 35 years as CEO, Wayne Sims published “Non-Profit/Pro-Growth — The KVC Story: Improving Child Welfare Through Values-Based Organizational Growth.” This book details how putting our mission and values at the center of our strategy has been critical to our growth and positive impact. Learn more about the book here or KVC’s history here.

Services

KVC provides a broad, diverse continuum of services. While services vary by state, they include:

 

Learn more about our continuum of care:

KVC Health Systems has one of the nation's broadest continuums of care - from prevention programs that strengthen families, to foster care, to residential treatment and inpatient children's mental health hospitals

KVC is recognized for its use of evidence-based practices to achieve strong outcomes and is accredited by the Joint Commission, a seal which is considered the gold standard in healthcare. KVC also offers consultation and training, conducts research and more through its KVC Institute for Health Systems Innovation.

Ball Event Center in Olathe, Kansas

Ball Event Center in Olathe, KansasKVC Health Systems owns and operates the Ball Event Center in Olathe, Kansas, part of the greater Kansas City area. This venue is available to the public to host elegant wedding receptions, memorable social events and life celebrations, professional business meetings and all sizes and styles of corporate events. Learn more about the Ball Event Center here. The proceeds from Ball Event Center bookings benefit KVC’s charitable mission with children and families.

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