History

Our History

Children’s Home of Northern Kentucky was founded in 1882 by Colonel Amos Shinkle, a wealthy entrepreneur with a heart for philanthropy. Originally known as the Covington Protestant Children’s Home, it began as an orphanage in downtown Covington, KY and housed hundreds of homeless and orphaned children. In 1926, the Home moved out of its increasingly industrialized setting and into its present location on private property in Devou Park.

Over time, as the use of orphanages in the U.S. waned, the Children’s Home adjusted its services to better meet the needs of tri-state families in crisis. The Residential Treatment program was launched in 1980, and it was soon followed by foster care and adoption services, as well as other community-based programs.

Today, the Home operates two campuses – one (still) in Devou Park, and the other in Burlington, KY. The Residential Treatment program continues to be the primary line of care offered by CHNK. In August 2012, the Home also launched Champions, a program focused on non-violent juvenile status offenders.

The Home’s Residential Treatment program offers 24/7 care for abused, neglected, and at-risk boys between the ages of 7 and 17. Boys live on either the Covington, KY or Burlington, KY campus; combined, the campuses allow CHNK to house up to 60 boys at any given time. The majority of children in this program have been removed from their homes by the State of Kentucky.

The Champions program is a preventative approach for treating school-aged youth who have been identified as “status offenders” due to truancy and/or other non-violent behavior. The program offers an alternative to secure detention and serves children in grades 6-9.