Children's Home & Aid Blog & News
Learning to Solve Problems Together
“Kids arrive scared and angry. They’ve been through a lot. We listen without judgment to understand their perspective. When kids start feeling safe to come and talk to us about what they are experiencing, you see progress.” ~ Melvyn Tate, Coordinator, Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Child & Family Center A safe space to […]
Service. Compassion. Fun. Doulas Strengthen Families from the Start!
“It’s about investing in our families and having that heart connection. We want our families to feel how much we enjoy what we do, and that we’re here with them from the start.” ~ Jasmine Martin, Doula Program Supervisor Jasmine Martin has been a doula at Children’s Home & Aid for six years, walking hand in hand with […]
Blueprint for Impact: Our vision for the future.
“I’ve seen momentous change because of this program. Because of my brothers. They sit and they talk to me. They don’t talk at me. Nobody in here puts anybody down. And this is one of the greatest things that a father needs.” ~ Fatherhood program participant Rising to the challenge The pandemic exacerbated hardships that […]
Illinois Kids Ready for a Return to Learning
“Our block party in Englewood started off as a small, unorganized idea three summers ago and now it has become an annual neighborhood tradition. It’s such a good feeling to be able to not only support the children we serve, but also the community we’re rooted in.” ~ Michel Quezada, Manager of Family & Community Engagement Chicago […]
Community Collaboration Empowers Chicago Youth
“It’s incredibly powerful to watch kids in our programs as they discover they have it within themselves to shape their own lives and make a difference in their own communities. This isn’t a job. This is my life mission.” ~ Michel Quezada, Manager of Family & Community Engagement, Children’s Home & Aid Michel Quezada is […]
Children’s Home & Aid Centers Receive Book Donations in Celebration of Life for North Shore Librarian
J.T. Morand was looking for a special way to honor his mother, Betty. She passed away almost a year ago, but due to the pandemic, a memorial couldn’t happen until this summer. According to J.T., Betty knew the value of a book in a child’s life, so it made sense to collect books at her Celebration […]
Children’s Home & Aid’s 2021 Pauline K. Palmer Award – ITW
It is our pleasure and honor to announce ITW as the recipient of Children’s Home & Aid’s 2021 Pauline K. Palmer Award. Each year, the Woman’s Board of Children’s Home & Aid presents the Pauline K. Palmer Award to recipients who exhibit outstanding dedication and service to children and families. The award is named in […]
Dbldaddy: A Grandfather’s Love
Kevin, a grandfather in central Illinois, has become a dad again. After recently losing his own daughter to illness, Kevin knew what he needed to do to keep his family together. Not only did he officially adopt two of his grandchildren, ages 13 and 8, he became highly active in Parents Care & Share – […]
Breaking Barriers. Centering Families. Transforming Systems.
On June 8th Children’s Home & Aid and our Ahlquist Center for Policy, Practice & Innovation will host Breaking Barriers. Centering Families. Transforming Systems., a virtual event that will explore what it will take to create a more equitable future for children and families, free from the barriers created by racism, poverty, and trauma. How […]
Remembering Megan Berger-Trilk
Children’s Home & Aid lost an extremely valuable member of our team on Sunday, May 30, Megan Berger-Trilk. Megan passed away surrounded by family. She has been an essential member of the Children’s Home & Aid family for the last two years. Megan was dedicated and passionate about her work in the licensing department in the Northern region and […]
Amy Leichtenberg on our Family Visitation Center and Abuse Awareness
Amy Leichtenberg is a dedicated advocate of prevention services and works tirelessly to raise awareness of child abuse. She is a mother who was part of the Children’s Home & Aid Family Visitation Center (FVC) program with her two children, Duncan and Jack, ages nine and seven. The Children’s Home & Aid FVC provides a safe, neutral environment for […]
Prevention with a Purpose: An Interview with Dorothy Davis of Parents Care & Share
In April we recognize National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This year’s theme of Thriving Children and Families: Prevention with Purpose is bringing light to the immense pressure families are under from increased responsibilities and unforeseen challenges due to COVID. Through our Blue Bow Campaign, Parents Care & Share program, and other services, we offer resources and tools for managing these stressors and share steps that everyone can […]
Celebrating Patty York
This Friday is Patty York’s last day with Children’s Home & Aid. She is retiring after 16 years with the agency – but Patty has been involved with Children’s Home & Aid for over 25 years. Patty is a licensing coordinator in Rockford – she has truly lived the values of Children’s Home & Aid through her career. The many staff and families […]
Legacy of Love: Your Gifts At Work
Estate gifts and bequests help build our endowment, giving us a vitally important cushion against changing funding priorities. Bequest gifts come in all sizes, and each one helps ensure that our life-changing services will be available for generations of children and families to come. “A significant source of support for our work comes from donors […]
National Child Abuse Prevention Month: Ernestine Brown on Prevention with Purpose and Parents Care & Share
Children’s Home & Aid teams understand that being a parent is one of the toughest jobs there is. Our parenting support groups, such as Parents Care & Share, provide a setting to take a break, to feel safe to talk about painful issues, to laugh over our mistakes, and to learn from others. As Children’s Home & Aid takes the time to […]
Fathers are Essential to Children’s Well-Being: Working Together to Disrupt Inequality
This isn’t just about fatherhood. It’s about supporting dads as they strive to become better assets to their children, to their families and their communities…by becoming better men. ~ Ed Davies, Director of Community Initiatives, Children’s Home & Aid Research shows that non-residential fathers can play a role in ameliorating the circumstances that lead to […]
The Ellen Constance Caring Spirit Award
In the summer of 2020, Children’s Home & Aid lost an extremely valuable member of our team. Ellen Constance, Director of Child Welfare in the Southern Region, passed away after a short battle with an aggressive form of cancer. Her loss is deeply felt by her family and friends and her colleagues who loved and respected […]
One Year In: How Our Children and Families are Doing
Over the past year, we have seen firsthand the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the 30,000 children and families we partner with, many living in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the virus. The pandemic not only exacerbated the issues that our families already face—including poverty, chronic stress and mental health […]