Programs & Services
Foster Care Program
There are 14,700 children in foster care in Illinois. Over 4,000 are in the City of Chicago.
Lawrence Hall Youth Services’ Foster Care Program began in 1989, and we are one of 40 agencies statewide and 27 agencies in Cook County that provide this critical service.
The Foster Care Program provides safe, secure, and nurturing homes for children removed from their birth families because of abuse or neglect. These temporary homes provide protection for children until they can return to their families. Adoption and guardianship are additional permanent options when it is not possible for a child to return home. There are three types of foster care arrangements:
Home of Relative Care is for youth who, once removed from their birth parents’ homes, have relatives able to assume parental responsibility.
Traditional Foster Care is provided by unrelated, trained, licensed foster families. This is an option for youth where relatives are unavailable or are inappropriate caretakers.
Specialized Foster Care is for youth who have severe behavioral difficulties, serious mental health needs, and/or developmental delays that require more intensive support. These foster families are also licensed and receive more intense training. Lawrence Hall is one of only a few Illinois agencies that is able to provide Specialized Foster Care.
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