Posted: 8/11/04
By Barbara Brown
Karcher Foster Services offers adult foster care and respite services for people with developmental disabilities.
The business came about in 1989; Joy was a teacher at the Chisago Lakes Achievement Center and Butch was working at his own business, Vintage Auto Restoration, in Chisago City.
When the preschool special education program at the Chisago Lakes Achievement Center was mainstreamed into the school district, Joy lost her job.
A social worker for the county asked Joy if she wanted to do foster care in her home for one of the youths who had been a part of the program. Thatís when the Karchers took in their first foster child, a 4-year-old boy.
It was the first step to building what would become a labor of love for the couple. Taking in the child was not a big deal to the Karchers.
ìI thought it was just something you did,î Butch said. ìIf someone needs help, you open your doors and let them in.î In 1991, the financial strain from the auto shop became too much and Butch sold it.
ìI didnít know what we were going to do,î Butch said. By then, the Karchers had a couple foster care clients and their own family to look after.
Butch and Joy began working in transportation, transporting special needs clients to and from Pine Technical College for school.
During that same time Butch also began working in job development for an organization that trained and found jobs for special needs adults. Butch remained with the Brainerd-based company for about one year.
That company went out of business and Butch and Joy found themselves unemployed once again.
When Butch began thinking about the foster youths living in his home with his family, he wondered if people could do this as a full time job.
He began to inquire with the state about the requirements for taking in more foster care clients.
In 1993, the Karchers bought their present home, as they say, ìon a wing and a prayer and a lot of help from the bank and the previous owners of the home,î and moved into the larger house.
Remodeling and licensing and training, they became legally compliant in their new home and began responding to what they have found to be their calling.
That house, which is still the Karchersí primary residence, has four full time clients, plus the Karchers three boys, two dogs, a cat, a large bird, several full-time staff and many visitors.
In 2000, the couple bought a second home expanding the services they offered.
The business was growing so rapidly that the Karchers built a third house in Taylors Falls in 2001 and in 2003 bought a fourth house in Chisago City. Each of the homes can house up to four clients.
Karcher Foster Services currently only takes male clients, but is looking to open a female residence soon. Clients are referred to Karcher Foster Services through the Department of Social Services, the Traumatic Brain Injury Association, Bethesda Hospital and by word of mouth.
Because the business has grown so much, the offices, once housed in the coupleís home, have recently moved to a new business building on Main Street in North Branch.
The Karchers now employ more than 50 people from clerical staff to wavered service staff.
But they still have not forgotten how to roll up their sleeves. Joy does some gardening at the houses along with some painting and scrounging for good deals to keep the houses supplied.
Butch still goes to the houses and fills in a shift if someone cannot make it to work.
ìWe always try to remember to do what is best for our clients,î Butch said.
They are in the process of building a fifth home in North Branch and a sixth home - the one that may become a female residence - is expected to open in the spring.
Butch Karcher said one area he is interested in expanding services for is traumatic brain injury. New research is always emerging in techniques for improving the quality of life for people with traumatic brain injury ñ an injury with a distinct time of occurrence that affects personality, habits, mental capacity and/or physical ability among other things.
The Karchers also hope to one day develop a day program and work with rehabilitation programs for traumatic brain injury clients.
ìItís a very interesting field and I find it very challenging to work with the traumatic brain injury population,î said Butch Karcher.
Family members are always encouraged to participate in events, come for dinner or just stop by for a visit with their loved ones.
ìWe want to maintain a family atmosphere, itís our slogan ëan extension of your family,íî Butch said.
Butch and Joy have expanded their family to include countless clients.
In the 18 years they have been married their spare bedroom has been occupied either by a friend in need or a foster client.
ìI believe we are where weíre supposed to be,î Butch said. ìSomething was laid on our hearts and we answered it. Itís your heart that leads you and you just follow your heart to whatís right.î
Karcher Foster Services also can work as a resource of information for families of people with disabilities or traumatic brain injury. Call (651) 674-2031.
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6448 Main Street
North Branch, MN 55056
Telephone: 651-674-7025
Fax: 651-674-7026
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