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Caitlin and Christopher have been licensed JCFS Chicago foster parents for about a year.  They welcomed their foster son (now age 10 months) into their home 7 months ago.  They want to give a “shout out” to their case manager, Jenna, of whom they are big fans!  They also really appreciate the other JCFS Chicago foster parents they have met who have been “wonderful, dedicated, and gracious.”

Here is more from Caitlin and Christopher.

Model of Concept car made by students in Stephanie's middle school classroom 

With speech and language disorders ranking among the most common disabilities in children, parents and caregivers are encouraged to learn the signs—and seek an evaluation—if they have concerns about their child’s ability to communicate. JCFS Chicago’s speech-language pathologists can offer timely guidance for families because May is recognized nationally as Better Hearing & Speech Month.

A warm cup of freshly brewed coffee, sold at an affordable price, served with a smile.  Welcome to School Grounds, the JCFS TDS coffee cart. 

We are very saddened to share the news of the death of former director of the Virginia Frank Child Development Center, Judith Bertacchi. Judy passed away on Friday, April 12.

Addiction and addiction recovery are realities in our community; they always have been and likely will be into the near future.  Until recently many people in the Jewish community denied that addiction was a Jewish issue.  Now there is a much greater recognition of how addiction challenges our own.  However, many Jewish families still express deep feelings of isolation when confronting addiction in themselves or their loved ones.

There are so many ways, large and small, that each of us can support Jewish families struggling with active addiction or in recovery, to bring them out of isolation and into the loving support our community offers.  Here are some ideas:

We have an exciting new program at TDS this year — CAAEL (Chicago Area Alternative Education League). Used throughout the school day, CAAEL is intended to motivate students to come to school, complete their assignments, and behave appropriately. Through this organization, students in Therapeutic Schools have an opportunity to participate in interscholastic sporting and other types of events throughout the year, such as: basketball, chess, bowling, a spelling bee, flag football, volleyball, soccer, softball and more.

Emily came to JVS Career & Employment looking for a part-time job that was flexible with her school schedule and located in her neighborhood. Her previous work experiences in an office and food service required support from a job coach. Through our customized youth employment program, we were able to identify prospective employers and design an individualized position that would allow for independence and success without needing a job coach.

Welcome to the April 2019 issue of Bulldog Bulletin where we share the endlessly wonderful things our students, teachers and staff do here everyday! 

Through play, children develop motor coordination, social skills, emotional regulation, as well as learn how to process the sensory input in their environment.  The occupational therapists at JCFS Chicago’s Integrated Pediatric Therapies and Therapeutic Day School make sure each child has fun at work!