Our Work

Foster Care

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) is the largest private provider of foster care in Illinois. Proceeds from the event will support LSSI’s Foster Care Services. Since its founding in 1867, LSSI has been a leader in child welfare services. Your support helps children in our care get to their next chapter.

Traditional Foster Care
LSSI cares for children who have been removed from their home by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) due to abuse and/or neglect. We place these children with caring foster families who receive training, licensing, and support from LSSI. Relatives who step in to care for a child are also foster parents and receive the same training and resources. The children in our care, and their biological parents, also receive support.

Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC)
This is an innovative, evidence-based foster care program where children with histories of severe trauma and emotional/behavioral needs are placed in family treatment homes where they receive intensive support and more one-on-one care. TFC was a pilot program championed by LSSI that proved successful and is now a permanent program within our organization. Learn more at LSSI.org/TFC.

Families Together
Through this evidence-based pilot program, LSSI’s goal is to decrease the length of time children spend in foster care while strengthening opportunities for children and families to thrive. In this program, in addition to the Case Coordinator, a Families Together Team of welfare professionals guide and support the child and parents, both foster and biological. Learn more at LSSI.org/Families.

Emergency Foster Care
LSSI provides care for youth in immediate need of a short-term, transitional home until a permanent placement home is found. This program helps ensure that youth in care always have a place to call home.

Intact Family Services

In addition to devoted foster care programs, LSSI also provides services to help keep families together and reduce the need for foster care when possible. LSSI provides intensive case management to families who have come to the attention of DCFS due to a concern raised, but it is determined that the children do not need to be removed from the home. Families in this program need assistance in strengthening and keeping their family unit together. It is a preventive program that reduces the likelihood of a child being removed from the home and placed into foster care.

Intact Family Recovery is an intensive, home-based program for children and families dealing with at least one parent who is struggling with substance use, with the goal that those children can safely stay in the care of their parents while the family is obtaining treatment.

Family Supportive Services is a home-based, prevention program that provides families with linkage to community resources to address and eliminate issues and concerns that may lead to child abuse or neglect.

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Step-Up School-Based Counseling

LSSI’s Step Up Program partners with Chicago Public Schools to provide on-site mental health services for students who otherwise lack access to care. LSSI’s Step-Up School-Based Counseling Program partners with Chicago Public Schools to provide on-site mental health services for students who otherwise lack access to care. Located in over 60 Chicago Public Schools, the Step-Up Program offers counseling for students, family therapy, emotional support during periods of anxiety (like test-taking) and skill building (help with organizing, building coping skills, and self-esteem). LSSI brings these mental health services to the students, working with teachers and administration to meet with students during the school day without disrupting their time in the classroom.