Children's Home + Aid Blog & News
Children’s Mental Health: Championing a System of Care
Over 43,000 children in Winnebago County alone rely on medical assistance programs, including Medicaid[1], to provide for their physical and mental health needs. In addition, children in foster care receive Medicaid benefits regardless of the income of their families. With…
The Power of Fathers: Jeremy’s Story
When Jeremy Kilpatrick walked across the stage at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2012, he not only had two degrees in hand, but also his 11-month-old daughter, Jayde. Jeremy now works as an Advocate for Children’s Home + Aid’s new initiative,…
Partners in Philanthropy: A Conversation with Peter Thum and Cara Buono
Following Children’s Home + Aid’s Champions for Children Luncheon in Chicago this spring, we were given an exclusive opportunity for an in-depth conversation with For the Love of Children award recipients, Peter Thum and Cara Buono. Peter is an entrepreneur…
Celebrate Father’s Day and Support Children’s Home + Aid
Father’s Day is Sunday, June 18th! We’ve put together the below gift guide to help you show your love and appreciation for your father, or someone in your life who is like a father to you. These charitable gifts that give back will help Children’s…
New Family CARES Center Opens
On June 1st, Children’s Home + Aid joined Northwestern Settlement to officially open the new Family CARES Center. The clinic helps children and families make positive changes in their lives, maximize their potential, and improve their function in society. The…
Community Schools Show Promise As School Improvement Strategy
In 2006, the Federation for Community Schools was born out of the vision of the Chicago Campaign to Expand Community Schools and the Chicago Coalition for Community Schools in order to share best practices and advocate for community schools in…
Homeless and Hopeless
At 15-years-old, Kiara was hopeless and homeless. After her father suffered a medical emergency that left him in a coma, both her mother and grandmother turned her away. With nowhere to go, Kiara was referred to Children’s Home + Aid’s…
Becoming the Rumpsa Family
Margie Rumpsa has been through the adoption process twice. She’s the first to say: it’s not for the faint of heart.
But she wouldn’t change it for the world.
Margie is a single mom to two boys: Sean, 7-years-old and Jack, 5.…
Care in Crisis
“My mommy has been hurt,” a 3-year-old girl cried, as she sat on her mom’s lap in the cozy living room of Children’s Home + Aid’s Crisis Nursery.
Her mom had called the Crisis Nursery in a panic after her boyfriend…
From Help to Hope
After emerging from a series of physically and emotionally abusive relationships, 37-year-old Stacey found her five children, ages 3 to 17, struggling to cope. Stacey’s two oldest children often fought with each other, sometimes violently, and both lacked motivation to…
Celebrate Mother’s Day and Support Children’s Home + Aid
Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 14th! We’ve put together the below gift guide to help you show your love and appreciation for your mom, or a woman in your life who is like a mother to you. These charitable gifts that give…
The Quality Parenting Initiative
The Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI) is a new approach to the foster care system. Started by the Youth Law Center in San Francisco, it has launched across Illinois. By treating all stakeholders, from biological parents to judges to youth themselves, as allies…
Employment Opportunities for At-risk Youth
When Louis Blake found himself homeless at age 15, he made his way to a shelter that works with homeless teens, which in turn referred him to Children’s Home + Aid. Louis was initially served by the Comprehensive Community-Based Youth…
10 Signs You’re Ready to be a Foster Parent
You want to give children a safe home for a temporary time until which they can return home
Foster care is a temporary situation. While sometimes families are unable to be reunited, it is always important to support the reunification of the…
Earl Kloppmann Recognized with 2017 Mowrer Award
The Family Service Self-Help Center awarded Earl Kloppmann, Children’s Home + Aid Program Manager for Parents Care + Share, the 2017 Mowrer Award for Outstanding Established Group. The award is in recognition of Earl’s work with the many parent support groups at…
Spring 2017 Newsletter
Our Spring 2017 newsletter is now available online! Read about how your support can help new moms, how we can break the cycle of violence, a note from our CEO and President Nancy Ronquillo, and more.
Featured in the newsletter is…
Funding for Healthy Families Illinois
Last week, Jaime Russell, Program Manager of Children’s Home + Aid’s Family Support Services in the Central Region, testified at a Senate Appropriations I Committee hearing. Jaime spoke in support of funding the Healthy Families Illinois and Parents Too Soon home…
Ready by 21 National Meeting
Children’s Home + Aid Policy Manager Stefanie Polacheck and The Federation for Community Schools Director Melissa Mitchell joined hundreds of youth advocates from around the country at the 6th Annual Ready by 21 National Meeting held in Austin last week. Each year,…
National Social Work Month – Lily Anderson
In honor of National Social Work Month, we’re highlighting a handful of the many dedicated social workers who stand up every day for the children, youth and families we serve. Becoming a social worker offers you the opportunity to pursue a…
Rice Child + Family Center Rec Room
After more than a year of planning, fundraising and designing, the new rec room at the Rice Child + Family Center officially opened on Friday, March 24. Children’s Home + Aid Trustee Alan Conkle, a team of PwC volunteers, and the architects behind the rec room…