What Is the History and Experience of Kmetko & Associates?

Kmetko & Associates, Ltd. is a licensed private child welfare agency based in Illinois that has worked in interstate child placement since 1990. It began when Tom Kmetko started assisting the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (IDCFS) with placing children across state lines, and it has since grown into an agency that also handles adoption, licensing, and supervision services. If you are trying to judge whether the agency has the background and staffing to handle an interstate placement or home study, the record below is what the agency itself reports.

How the agency started

The origin point is specific: 1990, when Tom Kmetko began assisting IDCFS with interstate child placements. That work was the seed of the organization — the site describes it as "a vital service" that "quickly grew," and Kmetko & Associates was formed around it.

Tom Kmetko, LCSW, is listed as Executive Chairman, so the founder remains connected to the agency's leadership structure.

How it grew beyond interstate placement

What started as interstate placement support now spans a wider set of services. According to the agency, it has expanded its expertise to include:

• Adoption
• Licensing
• Comprehensive supervision services

It also describes itself today as "a leading private child welfare agency."

Scale of current operations

The agency reports two figures that indicate how much work it handles:

These numbers matter if you are evaluating capacity — they suggest interstate placement and home studies are routine, ongoing work rather than occasional cases.

Experience: over 30 years

The agency states it has been dedicated to finding safe, loving homes for children seeking placement with Illinois families for over 30 years. Combined with the 1990 founding date, that gives a long, continuous track record in the same state and the same core service area.

The team behind the work

The staff list is unusually detailed and is itself evidence of the agency's structure. It includes licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), social workers (BSW, MSW, LSW), and specialists organized around interstate services.

Leadership and administration

• Tom Kmetko, LCSW — Executive Chairman
• Fred Dillon, LCSW — Executive Director
• Laurie Kaufman, LCSW — Interstate Services Administrator
• Tim Garvey, LCSW — Interstate Services Administrator

Interstate services supervisors

• Anissa Dean, LCSW — Interstate Services Licensing Supervisor
• Celeste Richmond, LCSW — Interstate Services Supervisor
• Semah Shammas, LCSW — Interstate Services Supervisor

Interstate services specialists and licensing representatives

• Daniela Celis, BA — Intake Specialist
• Duaziah Graham, BA — Interstate Services Specialist
• Heather Rutenber, BS — Interstate Services Specialist
• Kristy Kaufman, BSW — Interstate Services Specialist
• Nicole Thomas, BA — Interstate Services Specialist
• Stephanie Robinson, BSW — Interstate Services Specialist II
• Tanisha Wash, BS — Interstate Services Specialist
• Tracey Peters, BA — Interstate Services Specialist
• Stacy Cather, BSW — Interstate Services Licensing Representative
• Paula Williams, BA — Interstate Services Licensing Representative
• Maria Figueroa, BA — Administrative Assistant
• Christian Ovalle, BS — System Administrator

Consultants

The agency also lists a group of consultants, including Alisa Jackson-Comer, LCSW; Antanet Roberts, LCSW; Arlene Mitchell, MSW, LSW; Ashley Kendrick, LCSW, DSW; Bailey Gamble, MA; Dr. Edrena Davis-Abram, LCSW; Ellen Thursby, PhD; Jaclyn Schedin, LCSW; Jennifer Barron, LCSW; Jennifer Mitchell, LMFT; and Joanna Miller, LCSW.

The mix is worth noting: the interstate services side is staffed by multiple supervisors and specialists, not a single point of contact, and licensed clinicians appear at both the supervisory and consultant levels.

What this means if you are evaluating the agency

• If you need interstate placement support, the agency's entire history is built on that work, dating to 1990.
• If you need a home study, the reported volume of hundreds of requests suggests it is a standard part of their operations.
• If you are weighing credibility, the combination of a 30-plus-year record, a named founder still in leadership, and a staff roster of licensed social workers gives you concrete points to check against state licensing records.
• If you need adoption or licensing services, the agency states these were added as its expertise expanded beyond the original interstate placement work.

For current service availability, fees, or eligibility in your specific situation, contact the agency directly — the site describes its services and team but does not publish pricing or intake conditions.