Two children share a room in the young and intermediate wings that have bunk or twin beds. Older children have rooms of their own. Complete furnishings are available but children are their own best home decorators. Each wing has a family room complete with a captioned TV, toys, a computer and a small kitchenette for snack time. One flight of stairs below is the children's rec room, infirmary and the dining commons where three hot meals a day are served.
Children have use of the gymnasium, theatre, playground and athletic field.
Complementing these activities are trips with staff to such neighboring sites as the YMCA, bowling alley or skating rink. Children's residential life includes study times, tutoring, church and accepting age appropriate levels of responsibility for themselves, their room and treatment of others. St. Joseph's program operates from a residential standards book that exceeds any certification. The standards have been developed by the heads of the program and core houseparents who average over 10 years of experience at St. Joseph's. Houseparents hold degrees in psychology, social work, recreation and early childhood development.