Children’s Advocate

As executive director of the Mercy Home for Children in Brooklyn, New York, Sr. Kay Crumlish leads an organization which cares for children with mental and developmental disabilities in its six facilities in Brooklyn and Queens. 

Sr. Kay, a native New Yorker, entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1959 after graduating from St. Francis College. She holds a masters degree in special education from Hunter College, and a certificate in administration and supervision from Adelphi University. 

Sr. Kay helped establish the Dwayne Braithwaite School in Brooklyn, and in 1980 joined the Mercy Home as program coordinator. In 1985, she helped open the Kevin Keating Residence for autistic young men in Rosedale, and has been executing director since 1993. 

Sr. Kay’s parents came from Counties Donegal and Mayo. Her mission statement, “All people have a right to a life with dignity and purpose,” is borne out through her work every day.