Children and families in the Child Welfare system face incredibly challenging odds. For a child, an encounter with the foster care system can be traumatic by nature, and research shows that trauma can have a lifelong impact. Nearly 80% of children with history in the foster care system report serious mental issues; 21% exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, even after finding a permanent home.
Conquering the difficult work of keeping children safe is up to Child Welfare case workers. Guiding children and families through the process of rehoming or reunification with respect and kindness is key– but this is easier said than done!
At Association House, we operate a Foster Care program for licensing foster parents and giving foster kids loving places to live; and an Intact Family Services program for reuniting families separated by crisis situations that put children at risk. For our Child Welfare team, the work doesn’t end with rehabilitating families, or seeking new homes for foster children.
We create a culture of fairness, dignity, and compassion for our families, ensuring that parents can find the strength to change their lives, and that children have the support to face their futures confidently. From our annual toy drive to give our Child Welfare families a holiday without compromises, to our judgement-free approach to case management, our team is committed to leading with love.
This year, our unique approach was recognized in more ways than we ever expected. We received three unique honors from leading agencies in the state, celebrating the accomplishments of our Child Welfare team!
At this year’s Latino Family Institute Day, one of our star case workers, Angelica Gervacio, was honored with the Child Welfare Contributing Agency Staff of the Year Award for her inspiring work in the field.
In December, we received honors directly from DCFS in the form of a Certificate of Appreciation for Foster Law Implementation. We were one of two agencies in the state to receive this award, given to programs that demonstrate outstanding treatment of its foster families.
But we were especially proud of receiving the 2024 Internship Site of the Year Award from the Chicago Center– proof that our approach to foster care and family services is speaking to a new generation of social workers and generating change for the future.
“I didn’t know what to expect, but I’ve learned more in my few months here than I have in the last three years of college," shared Brooklyn, one of our Child Welfare interns. "It’s exceeded my expectations. There are certain case workers here who’ve put me in awe. You can tell they pour their whole soul into this job."
Brooklyn joined our team of interns in 2024 in pursuit of her bachelor's degree in Social Work from Loyola University. Paired with our Intact Family Services award-winner Angelica, she had the chance to see how an emotionally challenging side of Social Work could be handled with care.
"You hear a lot about anger toward the whole dynamic of foster care, but I’ve been to a home visit with Angelica where the parent told me, ‘We love her so much. She’s saving our family.’"
Through this work with Child Welfare team, Brooklyn is excited to face whatever challenges her future career holds, and to change lives for the better in the process. We're honored to share our tradition of compassionate case management with the next generation of Child Welfare workers, and looking forward to another year of pushing our field to be the best it can be.
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Learn more about how Association House does Child Welfare differently at associationhouse.org/child-welfare.