SOS Children’s Villages Illinois is now One Family Illinois!
On July 1, 2024, SOS Children’s Villages Illinois transitioned to a new name and identity, One Family Illinois.
While the name has changed, their services, approaches, and commitment to excellence remain the same. One Family Illinois (formerly SOS Children’s Villages Illinois), founded over 30 years ago, helps children and youth in the child welfare system and their families to heal, thrive, and achieve permanency goals.
The Chicago Foundlings Home looks forward to supporting One Family Illinois and together we will continue to make a meaningful difference in many, many lives.
11 Benefits of Volunteering
Become an SOS Volunteer. Read more below to learn how being an SOS volunteer can help you.
Many nonprofit organizations rely on volunteers to accomplish their mission. Some smaller organizations might even depend solely on volunteers for their first few years of operation. As such, volunteers are so critical to nonprofit organizations that they would not be able to do their vital work without the power of volunteer work.
How crucial are volunteers to nonprofit organizations?
As of 2021, studies have calculated the monetary value of volunteer hours at $28.54 per hour. While the actual amount varies from state to state, it’s clear that volunteers provide an enormous service to nonprofit organizations.
While you won’t receive a paycheck for your community service, volunteering also provides countless other personal benefits you may not have considered, including social, emotional, physical, and professional perks. Donating your time, energy, and resources can be just as rewarding for you as for those you are helping.
The Volunteer Commitment
Volunteering doesn’t have to be a long-term commitment, although those are always welcomed. You can customize your volunteer experiences to fit your lifestyle and schedule. Nonprofit organizations have multiple needs, including those requiring a minimal investment of time and energy. SOS Children’s Villages Illinois has many different volunteer opportunities. For example, you could volunteer to serve as a virtual tutor for one hour per week. Another option is to help organize drives to provide paper goods, school supplies, and books.
11 Benefits of Volunteering
1. Builds Strong Communities
When you volunteer, you make connections with other volunteers to tackle challenges facing your community. Even helping out with a small task can make a big difference in the lives of others.
2. Increases Socialization
Loneliness and social isolation are two severe epidemics in the world today that can lead to significant health risks. Although loneliness can affect anyone, older adults have a higher risk for loneliness and social isolation because they are more likely to face factors such as living alone and the loss of family or friends. Volunteering connects people and helps strengthen bonds between friends, family, and coworkers.
3. Improves Self-Esteem
Volunteering can be life-changing in many ways, especially for those who suffer from low self-esteem. Helping others and the community can boost confidence by providing a sense of accomplishment. Volunteering can also give you a sense of pride and identity.
4. Reduces Risk of Dementia
Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are frightening possibilities for millions of individuals. However, research has shown that volunteering may reduce the risk of dementia. Further studies indicate that social service improves elasticity in the brain. So, as volunteers age, volunteering may help them maintain the connections in their brains that often break down in patients with dementia.
5. Improves Physical Health and Longevity
Research shows that volunteers are healthier and have a lower mortality rate than those who do not volunteer. One study found that people who volunteer over 100 hours a year are some of the healthiest people in the US. Volunteering can also minimize chronic pain symptoms and reduce the risk of heart disease.
6. Provides a Sense of Purpose and Direction
Volunteering can add new meaning to the lives of young people who haven’t yet found their path and older adults, especially those who have retired or lost a spouse. Regardless of your age or life situation, volunteering can help take your mind off your worries, keep you mentally stimulated, and add more zest to your life.
7. Increases Happiness
Contemporary social neuroscience research shows that when people donate to charity, either financially or through volunteering, the mesolimbic system, the portion of the brain responsible for feelings of reward, is triggered. As a result, the brain releases feel-good chemicals, spurring you to perform more kind acts—something psychologists call “helper’s high.”
8. Helps Counteract the Effects of Stress, Anger, Anxiety, and Depression
Few things relieve stress better than a meaningful connection to another person. The social contact aspect of helping and working with others can profoundly affect your overall psychological well-being and help bolster your support system, which can protect you from anxiety and depression.
9. Increases Self-Confidence
Doing good for others and the community provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity. When you feel better about yourself, you are more likely to view your life and future goals positively.
10. Advances Your Career
Volunteering provides opportunities to build and practice valuable job skills used in the workplace—teamwork, communication, problem-solving, project planning, task management, and organization. Whether you’re considering a new career or simply interested in upgrading your skills, volunteering can include useful training.
Volunteering is also a great way to try out a new career without making a long-term commitment and gaining experience in a new field. For example, if you’re interested in nursing, volunteering at a hospital or a nursing home can expose you to that environment.
11. Improves School and College Experience
Young people still in school obtain social skills and develop awareness as volunteers. It can also boost college applications, and job resumes. Volunteering can also help college students improve their job search post-graduation.
Become an SOS Illinois Volunteer
Volunteering your skills, time, and resources is one of the most potent ways to make a difference, to help others, and, as it turns out, to enhance your life! There are multiple benefits of volunteering. If you have doubts about whether volunteering is right for you, you might be surprised by how much you’ll gain by becoming a volunteer. Find out how you can help as an SOS Illinois volunteer!
Watch SOS Illinois 2nd Annual Women's Leadership Forum!
The SOS Children’s Villages Illinois’ 2nd Annual Women in Leadership Forum was hosted yesterday! We are excited to share this 90-minute dialogue that featured five fascinating women who represent companies and businesses cross the State of Illinois. The goal of the Forum is to hear the journey of women into leadership and consider strategies to improve opportunities for women.
Join us for the SOS Illinois Women in Leadership Forum
Celebrate Women's History Month with SOS Illinois 2nd Annual Women's Leadership Forum
Happy International Women's Day from Chicago Foundlings Home!
We're excited to celebrate all month! Join us and register for this engaging event hosted by one of our funding recipients!
The SOS Children’s Villages Illinois’ 2nd Annual Women in Leadership Forum is scheduled for Wednesday, March 23 at 11am CST. We are excited to share this 90-minute dialogue that will feature five fascinating women who represent companies and businesses across the State of Illinois. The goal of the Forum is to hear the journey of women into leadership and consider strategies to improve opportunities for women.
View this Event Online here!
A Message Of Remembrance Honoring MLK Day & Black History Month
This January, SOS Children’s Villages Illinois and its Racial Justice Committee shares a message of remembrance as it honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and recognizes the many individuals who have sacrificed to create a path forward so that Dr. King’s dream can be realized. To celebrate MLK Day and begin the celebrations for Black History Month, the Racial Justice Committee offered events and service projects for our children and families to learn from, take part in, and enjoy.
You can view the original post on the website of SOS Children’s Villages of Illinois.
Inspire our youth with a book this Black History Month
Celebrate Black History Month with SOS Illinois.
Annual Black History Month Book Drive
Hosted by SOS Children’s Villages of Illinois.
Check back in our event page next February, we look forward to celebrating with you!
Thank you for supporting this important project to inspire youth in foster care.
Interested in making this a company or volunteer project? Please let us know!
Contact Hope Burk at hburk@sosillinois.org.
The Top Three Highlights of 2020 as SOS Illinois Closes the Door on its 30th Anniversary Year
“Home Alone” and “Dances with Wolves” were released. “Beverly Hills, 90210” premiered. The Hubble space telescope was placed into orbit. The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed. “Sue” the best-preserved Tyrannosaurus Rex ever (now at the Field Museum) was discovered. Nelson Mandela was released from a South African prison. Thirty-four countries met in Paris, France to formally mark the end of the Cold War. This remarkable list of things and more share something in common with SOS Children’s Villages Illinois: This past year, we all turned 30.
As SOS Illinois embarked on the celebration of our 30th year of providing innovative, transformational care to children in foster care and at-risk youth and families, we reached several significant milestones – all during a most unprecedented time due to the COVID-19 virus. To wrap up this year of important moments in our organization’s history, we would like to share the top three highlights of 2020.
As we embarked on the celebration of our 30th year of providing innovative, transformational care to children in foster care and at-risk youth and families, SOS Illinois reached several significant milestones – all during a most unprecedented time due to the COVID-19 virus. To wrap up this year of important moments in our organization’s history, we would like to share the top three highlights of 2020:
#3 Innovation: Uplifted by the Generosity of Our Amazing Donors
We are grateful for the immense support of our corporate partners and donors who found new ways of supporting us in a most unprecedented year. As COVID-19 interrupted every facet of life, we were grateful our services were deemed essential; and therefore, continued without interruption.
As an organization with a 30-year history of having faced both challenges and successes, we were thankful we did not have to confront this uncertainty alone. SOS Illinois rose to the occasion; and we did this with the help of our Board of Directors and amazing friends. For your outpouring of encouragement, we are so thankful that you stayed connected to us during these unprecedented times. We are pleased to be able to share a few highlights:
In the early weeks of the pandemic through August, SOS Illinois families received meals twice a week from the #FeedItForward initiative, started by the Lavin Family Foundation.
Swissôtel Chicago held a free give-back initiative with a virtual story hour where they matched donations, delivered groceries to each of our families’ homes, helped us host our Zoom events for Foster Parent Appreciation and our virtual graduations, as well as supported our Holiday Giving Program.
Christian and Sibi Bale recognized the importance of having a good computer to work on for school during this pandemic and donated a new Chromebook to each household and connected us with Baby2Baby to provide baby supplies for our youngest youth in care.
HSBC’s Hispanic Latin Diversity Committee donated 75 brand new Dell “Venue 10 Pro 5056” tablets, keyboards, and more for our families to use in their remote learning efforts. So many thanks for helping our children succeed.
The Ignite a Better World Foundation, Synchrony Bank, and the United Way of Will County among dozens of other individual and corporate donors donated funds specifically to address ongoing expenses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Chicago Regatta presented by Wintrust kept hope afloat with on-water racing during the regatta and a virtual auction and event afterwards.
The Related Lendlease Charity Golf Classic looked a bit different, but went off without a hitch and supported our families in an amazing response from longtime supporters. Thank you so much.
Evening of Hope took a turn onto the “Information Superhighway” and held a virtual event in November. Committee Members, Honorees, Sponsors, and attendees raised an incredible amount of money for the children in our care. Also, a special thanks to Actor David Eigenberg, Swissôtel Chicago Executive Chef Dan McGee, and an SOS Illinois Alumnus for participating in a special cookie baking segment.
Chicago Bear’s Player Deon Bush shared Thanksgiving Dinners with Chicago Village Families, and during the holidays, Chicago Bear’s Defensive End Akiem Hicks and his mother spread holiday cheer in a safe, and socially distanced celebration.
Holiday Giving donors pivoted with us to start online teams and raise funds for our Foster Parents to purchase holiday gifts for the youth in our care. This particular campaign raised over $55,000! This is in addition to many meals, treats, and other gifts delivered to our families this season.
We are incredibly grateful to all our donors, and would like to specifically thank: Christian and Sibi Bale; Swissôtel Chicago; Bohne Foundation; T-Mobile; Chicago Blackhawks Foundation; Chicago Yacht Club; Synchrony Bank; PHMG; Lochner; Central Church of Chicago Foundation; Conagra Foods; CC’s Wish List/ Enchanted Backpack; Lavin Family Foundation; BorgWarner; Maestro Cares Foundation; Goya Foods; Atlas Wealth Management; Headwaters Relief Organization; Home Depot in Homer Glen/The Home Depot Foundation; Win Biernacki and Rama Dandamudi, M.D.
#2 Resilience: Responding to COVID-19 to Keep Children and Families Safe
COVID-19 made this year of providing care to children and families very different from prior years. As a result, operations of the organization had to adapt. With these new and unforeseen changes, SOS Illinois reacted rapidly to successfully navigate the new pandemic. SOS Illinois first responded quickly by ensuring children and families were safe, as well as provided appropriate personal protective equipment. From there, SOS Illinois had a strategic focus on safety, education, behavioral health, and diversity & inclusion at our Villages and sites.
Safety: As we reopened the administrative sites, we took precautionary measures by putting into place additional protocols. Read a special message from our CEO, Tim McCormick, on the safety measures we took.
Education: As Foster Parents took on the additional roles related to our children’s virtual education, we realized additional support was needed. With the expertise of Win Biernacki, video segments for Foster Parents helped answer questions regarding online education. We also developed an entirely new Education Department focused on supporting every age and level of learning at our Villages as e-learning continued. See how we celebrated our graduates virtually this year.
Behavioral Health: The level of uncertainty experienced by all of us was challenging and in many ways traumatic, which is all too often part of what occurs for children entering the foster care system. Group sessions via Zoom took place, and resources were being provided to help Foster Parents. Also, we participated in Mental Illness Awareness Week.
Diversity & Inclusion: As our Villages and services continue to care for children and families of diverse racial and ethics backgrounds, SOS Illinois made the commitment to do more to provide diversity and inclusion training, workshops, and education for our Foster Parents and staff. Additionally, a committed group if staff have led this effort throught the Racial Justice Committee, which will launch initiatives in 2021.
#1 Determination: The Opening of the Roosevelt Square Community Center
The Roosevelt Square Community Center, designed by internationally recognized architect Juan Moreno and construction led by Lendlease, was completed this year, even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks due to construction being deemed an essential service. The Center is an 11,000 square-foot facility that features a 3,000 square-foot multipurpose room, Goya Learning Kitchen, learning annex, staff offices, playground, community garden, and more. Even with the uncertainty that COVID-19 presented, thanks to the tireless work of the construction teams, the Center was completed on time and on budget.
Most notable about this building, is that it is a first-of-its-kind for the City of Chicago. The Center is the first public building in the City allowed to be fully constructed from cross laminated timbers, as well as glulam columns and beams. Additionally, other sustainable and renewable energy sources like solar panels, energy efficient appliances, light fixtures, and a community garden, reflect the focus of building sustainable futures for our children, as well as our desire to help create a greener future for our City.
Launching this Center was a huge milestone for SOS Illinois and will be a lasting legacy as it continues to serve over 5,000 children and community members for years to come.
Special thank you, once again, to all of the donors, partners, and board members who helped to make the Roosevelt Square Community Center a reality. From philanthropy, to in-kind support, to countless hours of service, we are deeply grateful to you all. Learn more about the Center and our donors in our virtual tour.
Saying Goodbye to 2020 and Hello to the Next 30 Years
SOS Illinois has been proud to provide three decades of hope through the phenomenal individuals of staff, board members, volunteers, corporate partners, and donors working together tirelessly to support the important mission of caring for Illinois’ most vulnerable children and families. Thank you, and we look forward to the next 30 years.
Please view the original post here.
SOS Illinois Participates in Mental Illness Awareness Week 2020
During this time, we have learned our health is linked; and we have experienced a ripple effect. The health of one person, one neighborhood, one city, one state, one nation, has been tested. The same is true of our mental health. Our connectedness is forcing us to stay apart physically, but emotionally we need each other to get through this. By staying home we protect our world’s physical health, but by connecting through a phone call, zoom meeting, or social media we protect each other’s mental health. We are each other’s strength. Join SOS Illinois in support for Mental Illness Awareness Week – #MIAW.
SOS Children’s Villages Illinois is raising awareness for mental health October 4-10 in an effort to ensure children in foster care have the opportunity to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. We place great importance on the mental health of the children in our care. That’s why SOS Illinois has a dedicated team of clinicians that provide trauma-informed therapeutic services for each of the children and families we serve.
Children in Foster Care are 60% More Likely to Struggle with a Mental Health Condition
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, Healthy Foster Care American Initiative, mental and behavioral health is the “greatest unmet health need for children and teens in foster care.” The statistics for children in foster care in relation to mental health issues are alarming, especially considering the following statistics on youth mental health in the general population:
1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-34
The average delay between onset of mental illness symptoms and treatment is 11 years
17.2% of the general population of high school students have “serious thoughts” of suicide, including 47.7% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual high school students
50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14
High school students with significant symptoms of depression are more than twice as likely to drop out compared to their peers
70.4% of youth in the juvenile justice system have a diagnosed mental illness
For youth in foster care, especially those within the LGBTQ+ community, these statistics are increased.
Psychotropic Medications Prescribed Present Alarming Concerns
Medications such as mood stabilizers, anti-anxiety prescriptions, antipsychotics and stimulants are being prescribed to youth in foster care as a method of treatment for behavioral and mental health issues in children as young as 3 years of age.
Research has identified alarming concerns in relation to the administration of these psychotropic medications, including the fact that oftentimes multiple medications are used simultaneously from the onset of treatment.
The SOS Illinois Village model of care presents daily, regular opportunities for youth in foster care to obtain guidance, counseling and support that offers a stable environment centered around the healing of traumatic events in their lives so that they may break free from the limitations set by their mental health conditions and eliminate their dependency on psychotropic medications.
The Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act Seeks to Closely Monitor Administration of Psychotropic Medications
This Act was brought into effect in 2011 and requires that State Child and Family Services Plans includes details of how emotional trauma associated with maltreatment for children in foster care is addressed, including details on how psychotropic medication usage is monitored.
You can read more about the Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act here.
In addition to the monitoring of psychotropic medication usage, the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoption Act of 2008 requires that each state consult with pediatricians and additional experts in order to develop a plan for the coordination and oversight of medical and mental health services for children in foster care.
SOS Illinois Provides Opportunities for Healing and Longevity
Each child that enters our Villages has a dedicated support system from the very start. From our full-time Foster Parents to our on-site clinicians, therapists, mentors, case managers, support staff and more, the youth in our care are able to find safety and security in knowing they’re surrounded by a community that only wants the best for them.
These children are offered a real chance at renewing their sense of trust and hope. They’re also able to heal from the traumas of their past while gaining footing on steady ground in an effort to provide them the confidence, skills and resources they need in order to become responsible and caring adults.
SOS Illinois Supports the #MIAW Campaign
You are not alone #MIAW
The theme of this year’s Mental Illness Awareness Week is, “What People with Mental Illness Want You to Know.” Throughout the week, we will be raising the voices of those with lived experience to talk about some of the conditions and symptoms that are most misunderstood.
Mental Illness Awareness Week runs from October 4 – 10 and coincides with additional related events:
Tuesday Oct. 6: National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding
Thursday Oct. 8: National Depression Screening Day
Saturday Oct. 10: World Mental Health Day
Saturday Oct. 10: NAMI Walks National Day of Hope
You Are Not Alone
NAMI continues our year-long awareness campaign, You Are Not Alone, to feature the stories of people affected by mental illness to fight stigma, inspire others and educate the broader public. Now more than ever, the mental health community must come together and show that no one is ever really alone. No one should be without the information, support, connection and help they need.
How To Participate in #MIAW
There are many ways to get involved and remind people they are not alone by sharing stories about how connecting with someone during the health crisis has affected you, or what it means to have access to care by sharing through text, graphics, video or any other medium.
Follow SOS Illinois during the #MIAW Campaign
During Mental Illness Awareness Week, and the full month of October, SOS Illinois will be sharing resources, insights, and wisdom about caring for your own mental health, and supporting the mental health of others. You can find us on our social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Additionally, we will be sharing information about the ways that our Village Model of Care helps to support the mental health of youth in foster care, and how you can get involved to help get our communities happy and healthy.
View the original post here.
Navigating Our Next Steps at SOS Illinois
As Illinois continues to navigate the state of the current health crisis, and as our nation works to heal the damages of racism, SOS Illinois continues to assess our changing course of action. Despite the many unknown factors still facing us, as a nonprofit serving communities hit hardest by current events, there is much assurance in the belief that we must first and foremost act upon the goodness that is ours. We will continue to heal, teach, and strengthen children, as well as guide them to move beyond fears and uncertainty. By leading each child to take the much-needed steps, we show them they can trust in the power of the human spirit and in authentic, unconditional, and powerful love. Out of such love for others, we will be implementing new protocols on our journey to provide more services in each of our Villages. During the next few months, we will have a strategic focus on safety, education, behavioral health, and diversity & inclusion for our Villages.
Addressing Safety at SOS Illinois
Gov. Pritzker signed an Executive Order called – Restoring Illinois – Protecting Our Communities – to safely and conscientiously resume activities that were paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While programming and services at SOS Illinois were deemed essential and work continued throughout the “stay at home” order, administrative offices were closed with staff access to offices on a need-only basis.
As we reopen administrative sites, we are taking precautionary measures by putting into place additional protocols. These actions will help us ensure good sanitation practices, social distancing, protective face coverings, and self-monitoring are in place. We are adding these steps in order to maximize the health and well-being of our children and families, Foster Parents and staff, as well as birth parents and visitors.
Each site will have limitations as to the number of staff that can be present at any given time. This applies to high traffic areas, as well as individual offices and cubicle areas. Furthermore, these protocols will extend into our homes, where Foster Parents have diligently and mindfully followed all social distancing precautions while providing ongoing support for the children in their care. The extra measures are meant to provide a standardized response to ensure all homes are protected as staff members and birth parents resume in-home visits.
Assessing Educational Needs at SOS Illinois
During the special circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, having accessible, educational resources for Foster Parents and children was and continues to be vital. As Foster Parents took on the additional roles of teachers due to online learning in the spring, it quickly became clear that certain factors, such as the age of the children and whether they could be self-directed, access to a decent computer or device, as well as having good internet were of paramount concern.
Across the nation, parents shared struggles with the new notion of e-learning, and continue to do so as the new academic year begins. Due to the suddenness with which states shut down, very few could adequately prepare for these circumstances, including our teachers and schools. Our Foster Parents, like so many other parents, dug in and did all they could to keep children on task and progressing through assignments. We’ve been fortunate to receive a donation of Chromebooks for each home to make e-learning more accessible. Additionally, we have equipped homes with higher speed internet and will address ongoing concerns. As the semester begins, we will continue to assess the types of support SOS Illinois can provide to Foster Parents as it relates to in-home schooling, supporting diverse learning, and more.
During the summer, we were extremely fortunate to have had this process started by Win Biernacki, a longtime SOS Illinois supporter and wife of SOS Illinois Board Member and Former Board President, Don Biernacki, who graciously offered video segments for Foster Parents in order to answer their questions on virtual learning, at-home education, and supporting our children’s academic needs during this health crisis. We built d upon this and hired a consultant, who focused on writing and implementing an educational plan that will support every age and level of learning at our Villages should e-learning continue. Additionally, we will be onboarding a new educational team that will support our children and staff so that they are able to truly thrive in this remote schooling environment. Look forward to us sharing an update on how our children and families are adjusting to a new semester of at home learning later this fall.
Providing Support for Behavioral Health
The level of uncertainty experienced by all of us was challenging and in many ways trauma, which is all too often part of what occurs for children entering the foster care system. Yet, uncertainty, fear, and brokenness can be a source of hope. On weekly calls between senior leadership and Foster Parents at each site, our discussions quickly moved beyond fear to our collective notion of hope in each other. We trusted that despite having to remain physically apart (out of love for others), we were united and most capable of conquering fears to reestablish the certitude of our hope in each other to create a better tomorrow.
From this experience we have come to understand that just as important as our safety and education are, so too is our mental health as well as that of the children in our care. We will be working with our parents and staff to take the next steps to dialogue with children in order to let them know that the brokenness in our society will not define us, but motivate us to be who we really are – a people on a common journey towards the good.
Already, staff at SOS Illinois have established outlets for different age groups in order to address some of these behavioral health needs. Group sessions via Zoom are taking place, and resources are being provided to help Foster Parents be able to begin conversations that deal with larger, complex issues related to events taking place in our city and around our country.
Chief Operating Officer, Delphine Rankin, shared this reflection in a recent team meeting that summarizes the efforts of the Village. “I am proud and grateful we have been able to react to so many challenges and faced incredible change without hesitation as a result of the health crisis. No one blamed anyone, and no one faltered. Our Villages pulled together, and with a team effort rallied through this unprecedented time.” Using that same approach, we will now face the next challenges, knowing that at the core of all things, the safety, well-being of the children in our care is of the utmost importance.
Embracing Diversity and Inclusion on our Villages
As our Villages and services continue to care for children and families of diverse racial and ethics backgrounds, SOS Illinois is making the commitment to do more to provide diversity and inclusion training, workshops, and education for our Foster Parents and staff. As Chicago continues to be a primary focal point in the fight to eradicate racism – especially racism that affects Black children and adults – we recognize that it is important now more than ever to unify as a force aligned with anti-racism efforts in our city and beyond.
In response to this growing need, SOS Illinois had gathered a specialized Racial Justice Committee. The goal of this committee, spearheaded by an outside consultant, is to “advance the core mission of SOS Children’s Villages Illinois by critically assessing and creating strategies with a focus on innovative methods to create on-going plans for continued areas for education, training, and advocacy in areas of promoting equality, addressing racism and bias, and advocating for social justice reforms both within the organization and surrounding communities.” This committee, made up of staff and Foster Parents, will continue to work together over the next year on identifying the areas of greatest need without our organization and surrounding communities to address racial bias an intolerance, as well as to create opportunities for culture-sharing and respectful conversation.
We’re looking forward to sharing the ways this new committee will help strengthen our community through a four-part blog series premiering on our blog in September.
Continuing to Move Forward
Like other communities around us, we understand that our collective future comes with some uncertainty. However at SOS Illinois, we are taking an active approach at navigating our next steps with care, tact, and compassion for one another. You can stay updated on each moment by subscribing to our e-newsletter and can support our efforts to keep our children and families safe by making an online gift today.
Please view the initial blog post here.
Welcoming All Families: SOS Illinois Supports Same-Sex Foster Parents
In February 2020, the United States Supreme Court agreed to decide if private foster care agencies in the U.S. can turn down LGBTQ foster parent applicants under religious objectification. Though a decision from SCOUTS has yet to be made, SOS Children’s Villages Illinois recognizes that at the heart of a healthy foster care family is dedication and compassionate support. It is our belief and practice that diverse single adults and couples provide loving, committed care to the children in our Villages, and offer an important perspective to our Village life. We are proud to welcome LGBTQ Foster Parents into the SOS Illinois family, and invite you to consider taking on this life-changing role.
History of LGBTQ Foster Parents in the U.S.
As SOS Illinois celebrates our 30th Anniversary, so too we celebrate the diverse Foster Parents who have joined our community, serving thousands of children across our three Villages in Chicago and Lockport, Illinois. The history of LGBTQ foster parents is, in some ways, parallel to our own, as we have openly welcomed LGBTQ candidates and staff for the last three decades.
Over the last ten years, many child welfare professionals and agencies alike have begun to welcome LGBTQ parents and families in the fold. As early as the 1960s and 1970s, coalitions and advocates began petitioning for state-wide and national recognition of not only same-sex marriages, but same-sex adoptions and foster care placements. Over a thirty-year span, a growing body of research on LGBTQ parents and their children clearly affirms the ability of LGBTQ individuals and same-sex couples to parent, alleviating myths and false narratives about the negative impact on children raised by LGBTQ parents.
In May 2013, the “Every Child Deserves a Family Act” was introduced to U.S. Congress, but was never enacted. This Act would have stipulated that any organization that facilitates the foster and adoptive care of children and has some form of funding from the federal government could not discriminate against prospective foster or adoptive parents based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status. This stipulation also protected children being fostered or adopted from discrimination based sexual orientation and gender identity. However, as this bill would have only applied to organizations and agencies receiving federal funding, private institutions would still have been able to refuse prospective same-sex adults and couples.
Such push-and-pull of policy has not stopped LGBTQ adults from growing their families through foster care and adoption. By 2020, LGBTQ adults are fostering and adopting at rates higher per capita than those outside of the LGBTQ community. In fact, according to Life Long Adoptions, same-sex parents in the United States are four times more likely than different-sex parents to be raising an adopted or fostered child. Among couples with children under the age of 18 in the home, 13% of same-sex parents have an adopted child, compared to just 3% of different-sex parents.
As we continue to move forward with our own mission, we are committed to supporting and encouraging LGBTQ adults and couples to become part of the SOS Illinois community.
Why Support LGBTQ Foster Parents?
Aside from supporting the civic rights of LGBTQ adults, especially in regards to becoming parents, there are unique advantages to including LGBTQ foster parents within foster care communities.
There are more than 450,000 children and youth currently in foster care in the United States, many with diverse backgrounds, identities, and needs. As such, child welfare and foster care agencies are tasked to recruit an equally diverse pool of families to provide crucial support. In particular, LGBTQ foster parents may provide specialized support for LGBTQ children and teens, who are often overrepresented in the foster care population compared to their peers.
According to recent census research, between 7-27% of all youth in foster care identify with a sexual orientation other than “heterosexual,” creating increased needs for empathetic support.
Additionally, according to AdoptUSKids, “LGBTQ families bring particular strengths to parenting children in foster care, including an ability to identify with difficult feelings of isolation or a sense of being ‘different.’” For those within the foster care system, having a parent that understands what it means to be misunderstood by your peers, targeted for harassment, or under-supported by policy is a major benefit.
Becoming a Foster Parent at SOS Illinois
Joining the diverse Foster Parent community at SOS Illinois offers unique opportunities not available within a traditional foster care model.
One of the things that sets SOS Illinois apart from traditional foster care is full-time, professional Foster Parents. The SOS Illinois model places Foster Parents in single-family homes in one of its Villages, where up to six children ranging in age from infants to young adults call home.
For our Foster Parents, daily life involves taking care of each child’s diverse needs and schedules. During the COVID-19 health crisis, the dedication of our Foster Parents is even more remarkable, as they have taken on new roles as at-home teachers and tutors, coaches, and more. Applying to join our community today means that you can join this league of extraordinary single adults and couples committed to providing hope and healing to siblings in Illinois foster care. Learn more today on our Foster Parenting page to see if our inclusive community is right for you.
Please see the original post on SOS Illinois’ website.