kenny
Group Homes: safe, supportive group living environments
Kenny* came to Kids Above All’s Lisle group home in September 2017 with a specific goal: he wanted to finish high school so that he could go to college. But until Kids Above All, he didn’t have the support he needed to achieve his dream.
When he was younger, Kenny was removed from his parents’ custody due to abuse and neglect, leading to behavioral and emotional challenges. He spent time in residential facilities, but they were unable to provide the right care.
Kenny found support and encouragement from Kids Above All’s group home staff and Peter, his on-site therapist. They became positive, stable presences in his life as he adjusted to a new living environment and worked through issues with his parents and his older brother.
Kenny enrolled at both Lisle High School and Camelot Therapeutic Day School of Hoffman Estates, which gave him the opportunity to learn in a classroom setting that provided more individual assistance.
While at the group home, Kenny’s older brother Andre contacted him, bring up past trauma. But with Peter’s help, Kenny established healthy boundaries with Andre and kept focused on his goals.
In spring of 2018, Kenny was accepted to Eastern Illinois University (EIU).
As his dream of going to college came closer to a reality, Kenny paid special attention to the financial and time management lessons during the life skills sessions offered by Kids Above All. He found a job at McDonald’s and saved his paychecks to buy things he would need in college.
In May of 2018, Kenny graduated from Lisle High School, and in August, he moved into a dorm at EIU. He keeps in regular contact with Kids Above All staff, who remain a source of encouragement and support, and is doing well in classes, studying to get a degree in business.
