Our Mission

Xavier House is a first-of-its-kind program created to identify and support high-potential youth in foster care. Youth are selected through a research supported multi-step screening process that takes into account behaviors that are consistent with high intelligence that present in both desired and challenging ways.

When a youth becomes an Xavier House residents, they are understood for who they are and are seen through a lens of possibilities instead of deficits. The extent of the resident’s intellectual and educational needs are assessed, and a plan is developed to best meet those needs. The culture of Xavier House supports the child in feeling a sense of belonging; that they are in a place where their exceptionalities are appreciated. Our residents receive enrichment that addresses the opportunity gap so that they have the skills to successfully navigate higher education or a skilled trade. Staff are selected based on profiles that indicate they are a good match for caring for these spirited youth and then highly trained in trauma-informed care, the needs that come with caring for high-intelligence children.

Each element of the program is based on decades of research of gifted and talent children that affirms that these children thrive and behaviors subside when they receive the right combination of care and services.