Our Vision
Children Thrive in a Nurturing Environment.

Our Mission
In a community that promotes compassion, honesty and respect, children, youth and families are empowered to develop awareness of their abilities and assets to live a safe, fulfilling life.

Our History
Laraway Youth & Family Services has been providing therapeutic care for adolescents for well over three decades.  The time was the early 1970’s and, as the story goes, a couple of artists from Waterville decided they needed to do something for young people who were dropping out of high school.  They developed an alternative education program based on the arts and, as a sign of the times, astrological charts were used to develop behavior plans!

Not long after this, a connection was made between this education program and a residential program for youth known as the Living and Learning Center.  The programs were housed on the Johnson State College campus and in the late 1970’s an agency was born- Eirem Incorporated.  The education program was licensed by the Vermont Department of Education (DOE) and the residential program was licensed by Social Rehabilitation Services (SRS), now known as the Department for Children and Families (DCF).

In 1985 Eirem Incorporated became Laraway School, Inc., a change that reflected the Agency’s admiration of a popular local hiking destination- Laraway Mountain in Belvidere.  About 1995, Laraway closed its 12- bed residential program, obtained a license as a child-placing agency and opened a therapeutic foster care program.  This change clearly defined Laraway’s two distinct programs and as a result, the Agency became Laraway Youth & Family Services in 2000, reflecting the variety of services we provide.

Regardless of the agency name or the location of our facilities, Laraway has consistently provided high quality services to some of Vermont’s most vulnerable and needy children.  We look forward helping these kids find success in their home, school and community for many years to come!