St. Madeleine Sophie's Center is named after the 19th Century French Nun, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, Foundress of the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1800. In 1966 Sisters from the Society of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ) opened St. Madeleine Sophie's Center with one classroom to teach developmentally disabled preschool age students.

The public school system assumed the responsibility of training these students in 1972 and the Center changed it's focus to serve graduate-age adults with developmental disabilities ranging in age from 22-75 coming from a variety of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.

In 1992 The Kraemer Endowment Foundation was formed as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which exists solely to support St. Madeleine Sophie's commitment to enrich the lives of its students through self-sufficiency and inner fulfillment. The Foundation's purpose is to increase the endowment to ensure the long-term existence of the Center and to maintain the high quality and efficiency of our programs.

The mission of St. Madeleine Sophie's Center is to empower adults with developmental disabilities to discover, experience and realize their full potential as members of the greater community.