SOS Children’s Villages Illinois is Changing Lives

SOS Children’s Villages Illinois is Changing Lives

For Professional Foster Parent Fatina Wilson, every match holds meaning. Being a foster parent makes her feel rewarded, full of hope, and deeply fulfilled. But for the children she matches with, the experience is life-changing—a pillar of support they might not have been able to experience otherwise.

Tiara, Fatina’s teenage foster youth, set big goals for herself from the beginning. Full of dreams and aspirations, Tiara was determined to bring her plans to fruition—and once she matched with Fatina, she knew she would have the support she needed to do so. Fatina encouraged Tiara every step of the way, helping her fill out scholarship applications and ensuring the teenager knew she had someone to count on. Tiara graduated from high school with a 4.125 GPA and a prestigious scholarship to bolster her future. Connections like these make a tangible difference in the lives of Chicago’s youth, and SOS Children’s Villages Illinois are at the helm of forging them.

For over 30 years, SOS Illinois has offered an innovative approach to traditional foster care. They continue to do so today by bringing families and communities together to reach the common goal of reuniting healthy families. With three SOS Illinois locations, the organization aspires to provide every child with a forever home in a strong, connected community. What sets the organization apart is the collective power of dedicated Professional

Foster Parents, Child Welfare staff, Clinical Therapy programs, and many more on-site services, all working together to help underserved children and families.

The impact is impressive—in 2022, SOS Illinois served 486 children and enabled 30 reunifications. The connections they forged through their programs and services also led to 10 adoptions and guardianships, reaffirming their commitment to helping children find their forever homes.

In addition to bringing new families together, SOS Illinois also offers In-Home Family Services to assist existing families in building on their strengths, tackling challenging problems, and helping youth who may need supportive services, including assistance with social, coping and academic skills. This program allows parents to gain practical parenting skills, attain support services, resolve conflict and crisis assistance. Ninety-two percent of families who attended these classes shared that they genuinely felt their parenting skills had improved, a testament to the power of connection and SOS Illinois's wisdom.

SOS Illinois has a keen understanding of the importance of keeping siblings together in nurturing and stable environments. The Sibling Foster Care program gives children and youth in foster care the opportunity to grow up with their siblings and remain together as a family, with the support of a live-in

Professional Foster Parent, in-house case management team, clinical therapy, and other on-site services.

Every family is unique, and different families may face different challenges. SOS Illinois understands there is no one-size-fits-all solution to creating healthy families, and its range of programs reflects this. The Goya Learning Kitchen program offers cooking and nutrition programs to the Illinois community. Through working with a team of workforce specialists, participants receive culinary training, job placement support, and additional support services, all of which can be pivotal to building a healthy future.

Stories like Fatina’s and Tiara’s are not uncommon in SOS Illinois. Children and youths need role models, leaders, and advocates—people they can count on as they navigate their young lives. With the support of a healthy family, young people across Illinois can realize that their past does not define them and instead look forward to the bright future ahead.

Support local youth in foster care and learn how to become a Foster Parent by visiting sosillinois.org