Children's Home & Aid Blog & News
Helping Families from the Start: Children’s Home & Aid Doula Program
After escaping a violent relationship in a neighboring community, Noelle (who was five months pregnant) and her children arrived in Rockford in the middle of a cold December night. With no family or friends to turn to, Noelle contacted Children’s Home & Aid for help, as the local shelter didn’t have room for all of […]
How are the Children at the Rice Center? An update:
It was a perfect fall Halloween afternoon when the staff at the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Child & Family Center hosted a “Trunk or Treat” event for the children. “It’s been a hard few months for the children living at the Rice Center, and we wanted do something fun to celebrate Halloween, since […]
Family Visitation Center Provides Peace and Safety
October is Domestic Violence Awareness month and Children’s Home & Aid is proud to provide programs that safeguard and protect families and children impacted by domestic violence. One of these programs is our Children’s Home & Aid Central Region Family Visitation Center (FVC). The Children’s Home & Aid FVC provides a safe, neutral environment for […]
Needs Among Us
Pastor Rob Dyer and the members of First United Presbyterian Church of Belleville wanted a way to support families in their community who are going through a tough time. “We want to be part of the real transformation – not a temporary, quick fix,” says Pastor Rob Dyer, First Presbyterian’s senior pastor. The pastor and […]
The Power of Peers: Two Giving Circles Support Children’s Home & Aid Programs
Over the years, Marie Eledge and her friends wrote many checks to support each other’s businesses, including Pampered Chef, Stella Dot and Cabi home parties. Her husband joked, “Why don’t you women just exchange blank checks?” That was just the nudge Eledge needed to begin forming 100 Women for Good: Bloomington Normal. Founded to make […]
Fiscal Scan of Illinois Public Investments
Last week, Children’s Home & Aid, in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, released the third annual Fiscal Scan. Enshrined into law by Public Act 100-0818, The Fiscal Scan of Illinois Public Investments, Ages 8-25, is an analysis of public investments that directly impact youth. Rather than organizing the analysis by agency […]
Illinois State Board of Education
At Children’s Home & Aid, we offer the full breadth of high-quality state- and federally-funded early childhood programs – from home visiting, Early Head Start, and the Prevention Initiative program to the Child Care Assistance Program, Head Start, and Preschool for All. That’s why we were grateful for the opportunity to appear before the Illinois […]
This Year, Turn Your Tax Savings into a Brighter Future for Every Child!
Did you know that a recently passed legislation offers you a way to support charities you care about, like Children’s Home & Aid, while receiving potential tax savings? The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, (CARES Act) was signed into law in late March 2020 to provide relief from the economic hardship of the […]
The 2020 Election
Election Day is November 3, 2020. Voting is an important form of advocacy, now more than ever. By voting, you choose our leaders. Your voice helps the government shape its priorities – Not just for the candidate who will lead our country for the next four years, but for every local and state official on […]
Hispanic Heritage Month
From September 15th through October 15th our country celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month The EDI Committee wants to recognize and honor all our Latinx and Hispanic staff – from our classroom teachers, to case workers, clinical therapists, doulas, HR and development, and all of those across the agency! THANK YOU for everything you do for […]
From Client to Colleague: Tia’s story
Do you remember your first job? For most, it was at a retail store or in a restaurant chain cleaning dishes. Many people’s first job experiences are a blur. But for some, first jobs become a lasting memory. Tia is a Children’s Home and Aid employee who works as an administrative assistant in our Englewood […]
Closed Family Court Means Kids Are in Care Longer
How has the COVID-19 epidemic impacted children in foster care? In March when the state of Illinois shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, family courts that oversee child welfare cases were closed for three months and all in-person visits for children in foster care were prohibited by DCFS. Visits resumed in the summer, […]
Child Welfare Worker Appreciation Month
As Child Welfare Worker Appreciation Month comes to a close, we want to take this time to acknowledge and thank our dedicated child welfare workers. One month isn’t long enough to honor these essential teammates who are continually moving forward to keep children and families thriving. As our EDI committee stated, many of us are […]
Helping Children Return to Learning
With fall quickly approaching, Children’s Home & Aid needed to get creative to ensure kids and families in our programs were ready to return to virtual or in person learning settings. With the support of our volunteers, donors, staff and partners across the state, nearly 1,000 youth were supported by our Returning to Learning efforts, […]
Celebrating Donna Kasper
Today is Donna Kasper’s last day with Children’s Home & Aid – she is retiring after 14 years with the agency. Donna is the Foster Care Director in Rockford – and has lived the values of Children’s Home & Aid throughout her life. Donna has been working in this field for over 23 years but […]
Honoring Our Past Woman’s Board Presidents
With the words of our founder of the Woman’s Board of Children’s Home & Aid, Pauline K. Palmer exclaimed, “All the big things that go on are based on such small things, or so easily accomplished that they look complicated to those outside. Even the greatest inventions are simple after you learn how they have […]
The Woman’s Board Commitment to Early Childhood Care & Education
In 2020, Children’s Home & Aid’s Woman’s Board celebrates 100 years of caring for Illinois’ most vulnerable children and families. Since its inception in 1920, the Board has worked diligently to raise funds supporting the services of Children’s Home & Aid through its September Gala. This annual affair supports early childhood care and education services to […]
Children’s Home & Aid COVID-19 Response
The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has created stress and anxiety for many Illinois families who were already hurting. Requests from families to help meet basic needs like food, cleaning supplies, and PPE have sharply increased in recent months. With the support of generous donors, our staff have been working around the clock and doing whatever it […]
Community Input: Improving Substance Use Disorder Care in Illinois Medicaid
In June, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) sought community input on improving substance use disorder care and treatment for individuals through Medicaid services. While Children’s Home & Aid is not a substance use provider, our programs often serve clients who may struggle with substance abuse issues. Our programs are a crucial […]
The Woman’s Board of Children’s Home & Aid Celebrates 100 Years
The Woman’s Board of Children’s Home & Aid is celebrating 100 years of reaching out to vulnerable children and families across Illinois, doing whatever it takes to help children and families thrive. The Woman’s Board was founded in 1920 by a group of dedicated women, including Pauline K. Palmer of the Palmer House Hotel family. Their […]