Children's Home & Aid Blog & News
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 […]
Early Childhood Centers reopen
This week, Children’s Home & Aid reopened its five early education sites in Chicagoland and Bloomington. It’s been a busy week for the site managers, teachers and the families. While it was clear that everyone was excited to reconnect, there was also a sense of anxious anticipation as the new pandemic-related rules were implemented. “Our […]
Choose 2 Change Program Forges Ahead
For most children and teens, the end of the school year means long lazy days soaking in the sun, hot food and cool treats. But for many others, especially young people on Chicago’s south and west sides, it’s the start of a dangerous three months. Add layers of fear and isolation from the COVID pandemic, […]
Foster Parents Continue to Invest through Difficult Times
Despite a tidal wave of changes disrupting all of our lives this spring, foster parents and caregivers haven’t missed a beat caring for our kids. When the Illinois stay at home order went into place in early March, Children’s Home & Aid was caring for more than 1,000 children in foster homes across the state. […]
Remembering Ellen Constance
Ellen Constance, Director of Child Welfare in the Southern Region, died on July 3 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 her. Our grief is softened only by the knowledge of the difference she made […]
Nancy B. Ronquillo Award for Excellence Recipient – Christine O’Reilly-Riordan
We sat down with Christine O’Reilly-Riordan, the 2020 Nancy B. Ronquillo Award for Excellence recipient and Vice President of Community Relations and Executive Director of White Sox Charities, to hear about what inspires her. To hear more about her journey, visit our website and our social channels on June 11. Question: How did […]
An important message from President and CEO Mike Shaver: Facing two crises at once, together
Our world today is very different than it was just a few months ago – the peril created by the COVID pandemic has intersected with the outrage related to yet another inexplicable death of an unarmed black man, George Floyd. Sadness and anger have been on display during nightly protests as black Americans mourn this […]
How Donors are Helping do #WhateverItTakes (and how you can help too!)
How are the children? How are the families? The truth is, our families are struggling. Things were tough before the pandemic, but now, more than ever, things are more complicated and challenging. However, Mike Shaver, Children’s Home & Aid CEO recently noted, “We are seeing tremendous resilience, strength and hope among the children and families […]
Making a way in troubling times
A drive by shooting shattered Chris’s world – but not his spirit. Just 17, he had already experienced so much pain, violence and trauma during his lifetime. But the shooting was his wake-up call. Determined not to become a statistic, Chris was ready to turn his life around. He found hope and support through Jessica […]
Rooting for the Home Team
For more than 30 years, the Chicago White Sox have helped Children’s Home & Aid go where the need is greatest in communities throughout Chicagoland. Their dedicated partnership and tradition of giving back to the community has helped countless children, youth, and families receive the vital care and services they need to put them on the path to a better life […]
Meet Child Abuse Prevention Advocate, Maureen Blaha
April marks the time to recognize National Child Abuse Prevention Month and the Blue Bow Campaign. We’re highlighting a handful of sponsors and committee members to learn what the month means to them and why it’s so crucial. Maureen Blaha was the executive director of the National Runaway Safeline for 18 years, the national communications system […]
Meet Child Abuse Prevention Advocate, Jennifer Samartano
April marks the time to recognize National Child Abuse Prevention Month and the Blue Bow Campaign. We’re highlighting a handful of sponsors and committee members to learn what the month means to them and why it’s so crucial. Jennifer Samartano is an active, dedicated member of the Blue Bow Committee and represents Prevent Child Abuse […]
Meet Child Abuse Prevention Advocate, Sherry Cobbins
April marks the time to recognize National Child Abuse Prevention Month and the Blue Bow Campaign. We’re highlighting a handful of sponsors and committee members to learn what the month means to them and why it’s so crucial. We recently heard from Sherry Cobbins, she is the Community Based Child Abuse Prevention Grants Administrator for […]
Meet Child Abuse Prevention Advocates, Sara Castillo & Arely Cerda
April marks the time to recognize National Child Abuse Prevention Month and the Blue Bow Campaign. We’re highlighting a handful of sponsors and committee members to learn what the month means to them and why it’s so crucial. Sara Castillo and Arely Cerda of Casa Central are active, dedicated members of our Blue Bow Committee. […]