Foster Care
“You believed in me and gave me a chance,” said one mother on the day her children returned home from Foster Care. “I never thought this day would come -- thank you."
Specialized Foster Care serves children who have a high degree of emotional/behavioral and medical problems. Traditional foster care serves their siblings, who may have a lesser degree of problems. JCFS places children and adolescents from birth to 21 years of age in foster homes. The foster care program is a full service, comprehensive program to the children and families served. We provide individual/family therapy, group therapy, life skills classes, respite care and case management. Foster Care workers have a manageable caseload and intensive supervision.
The foster care program recruits and trains potential foster parents to provide care for these children. The foster parents must comply with all DCFS licensing standards, including pre-service training and completion of a home study. JCFS works with foster parents who live in the Chicago metropolitan area within the following borders: South to Country Club Hills, North toGlenview, East to Lake Michigan and West to Berwyn/Cicero.
In the early 1990’s, JCFS became one of the first specialized foster care programs in Illinois. Since our beginning, we have been well regarded by the court system and DCFS. The permanency performance for children over the last two years has been outstanding, well exceeding the expectations that DCFS places on specialized foster care programs.
We Provide
Recruitment of Foster Parents
With the number of children needing foster homes constantly exceeding the number of available placements, it is critical that the Chicago land community work together to find a home for every child in need. JCFS’s recruitment team reaches out through community events and monthly information meetings to inform, educate and get people involved in foster care.
Licensing Foster Parents
A JCFS licensing representative meets with potential foster parents to discuss DCFS licensure requirements. A home study is completed and reviewed by the home study committee. Upon approval and completion of all training, paper work will be forwarded to DCFS for a foster care license. JCFS conducts twice-yearly monitoring visits to ensure that each foster home continues to comply with licensing standards.
Private Foster Care for Jewish Families
In the event of an emergency, JCFS is able to place a Jewish child or children into one of our Jewish foster homes on a short-term basis. For this service, the parents will need to have medical coverage for their children and will pay a sliding scale fee.
Specialized Foster Care
Per a referral from the Department of Children and Family services, JCFS provides a home for a child. JCFS will provided all services needed to achieve permanency for this family.
Post Adoption/Guardianship Counseling Services
If JCFS is listed in the DCFS subsidy then the JCFS can provide individual and family therapy for a child and family who have adopted or obtained guardianship.
After Care
When a child in the JCFS Specialized Foster Care Program is reunited with his or her biological parents, the worker continues to provide case management and counseling services to maintain the stability of the child’s return. This continues as long as the case is open in Juvenile Court.
