ChildServ.org

Tell your friends and neighbors to tune in every Monday evening this fall. This is a live call in show. You are invited to call in with your questions.

We will cover a different topic each week showcasing the work we do to carry out ChildServ’s mission,

May 2011

May is National Foster Care Month...You Can Change a Lifetime!

All children — including the 424,000 American children and youth in foster care — deserve a safe, happy life. Young people in foster care especially need nurturing adults on their side because their own families are in crisis and unable to care for them.

Each May, we salute the compassionate people who make a difference by serving as foster parents, relative caregivers, mentors, advocates, social workers, and volunteers. Thanks to these unsung heroes, many formerly abused or neglected children and teens will safely reunite with their parents, be cared for by relatives, or be adopted by loving families.

Some children in foster care are less fortunate. Most communities across the country are urgently seeking more everyday people to help these youth overcome their troubled childhoods and realize their full potential. No matter what their age, every young person in foster care benefits from a meaningful connection to a caring adult who becomes a supportive and lasting presence in his or her life.

The month of May is National Foster Care Month and ChildServ is making a very big deal to celebrate their foster parents. These adults are providing safe loving homes for the children when they cannot live in their homes of origin and deserve to get the honorable recognition year-round. The Annual Foster Parent Appreciation Luncheon was held in May at St. Mark United Methodist Church on Chicago’s South Side. thirty-five foster parents will be honored with a few hours of being appreciated and encouraged in the selfless role as foster caretaker.

ChildServ is very proud to be able to honor these citizens for such extraordinary dedication. We want to let the Chicago community know that their neighbors are doing such good and that now is the time to get involved. No matter how much time you have to give, you have the power to do something positive that will change a lifetime for a young person in foster care.

January 2011

ChildServ Foster Care Yields Success for Teen Mom

Determined to get get back on track, a teen mother is achieving her goals, thanks to ChildServ’s Foster Care Services. One year ago, a young unwed teen, needed a safe and nurturing environment for her and her infant daughter. And ChildServ delivered. Through the specailty foster care program, Teen Mom Program, Tina was placed in the loving care and guidance of foster parents. The couple received special training and contiuous access to professional staff at ChildServ, to succesfully navigate the challenges in moving Tina’s life in a positive direction with consistency.

Tina was immediately enrolled in ChildServ’ Parent Empowerment Program, which educates parents of newborns on child development and constructive methods to encourage healthy physical, and emotional development in infants. This Teen Mom was also greatly encouraged and supported by her foster family to prepare for the GED exam, which she successfully passed. She then enrolled in a nursing program at South Surburban College. Unfortunately, due to a needed surgery, she temporatly stopped attending school.

Still struggling to stay on track, Tina was place in an Independent Living Program. Last month she moved into a one bedroom apartment that she shares with her daughter in Calumet City. She has secured full time employment working at a grocery store and plans to go back to school and complete her education. ChildServ’s Parent Educators have continued to work with Tina and her child regarding developmentally age appropriate activities bi-monthly.

When asked about how she feels about her foster home experience, Tina remarked, “ChildServ was there for me and my baby. And if they hadn’t found a home for us, I don’t know where my daughter and I would be today. I am very lucky and thankful.”

Today, ChildServ