Childrens Home Association Of Illinois

Our community services programs provide comprehensive support for individuals, families, and youth facing a range of challenges. We offer mental health services including individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, and compassionate care aimed at promoting mental wellness and improving quality of life. Additionally, our prevention and early intervention services focus on pre- and postnatal home visiting, helping to ensure healthy outcomes for new and expecting parents. These services provide education, resources, and support to promote healthy family dynamics and child development from the start.

Our residential treatment center provides 24-hour care primarily for youth in the care of dcfs who face developmental delays and trauma-related challenges. In the past year, we cared for 55 youth, totaling 12,950 patient days. The program integrates a range of supportive services to address the complex needs of our youth. This includes on-site nursing support, ensuring that each child's physical health is consistently monitored and managed. Additionally, our behavioral health team provides individual and group therapy to help youth develop coping strategies and address trauma-related emotional and behavioral challenges. Recreational activities are also offered to promote social development, teamwork, and physical well-being. We work closely with our internal and external local schools to provide educational support, ensuring that each child continues to meet academic goals through tailored learning plans, tutoring, and close coordination with school staff. Of the 16 children exiting the program, 94% were successfully discharged to less restrictive, home-like environments, demonstrating the program's success in preparing youth for greater independence.

The foster care program provides safe and nurturing homes for children who have experienced some form of adverse childhood experience. We work with everyone involved with the goal to secure permanent, stable living situations for them in line with our mission to support vulnerable youth and families. In fy 2025, we served 289 children, with 74 achieving permanency 41 through adoption, 24 through reunification with their biological families, and 9 to guardianship. Overall, 31% of the children in our care found long-term homes through adoption, permanent guardianship, or reunification, while the remaining children continue to receive compassionate care as we work to secure permanent placements for them.