What is Foster Care?
Foster care is a community effort that takes care of children and teenagers who would otherwise be alone or left in harmful situations. Through no fault of their own, kids have to be removed from their parents and placed in alternative, out of home placements for their own protection.
The goal of foster care is to help kids continue to grow in safe and stable environments while working with families toward reunification or permanency (adoption or guardianship).
Easterseals specialized foster care program focuses on children with disabilities and teenagers. We also have traditional children (children without disabilities) within our foster care program. Easterseals offers a full range of services and referrals to fit each child's individual needs.
We offer support for the foster parents at Easterseals through group meetings, home visits by the staff and family training. These trainings include child infant CPR, medication storage, dispensing and documentation, developmental disabilities, seizure disorders and other medical conditions behavior management, educational surrogate parenting and much more. Foster parents have access to help 24 hours a day.
Service include:
- Foster home licensure
- Children's placements
- Case management
- Social work services
- Foster home training
- Respite Care
- Adoptions
- Family Support
You can help make foster care better. Consider becoming a foster parent. Your time, effort and commitment will be rewarding and provide a safe haven for a child in need of a home.
Resources
Annual Report for Illinois Licensed Adoption Agencies
