SOS Children's Villages Illinois
Every child deserves a home
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Sibling Foster Care
Through our Sibling Foster Care, SOS Children's Villages Illinois provides a permanent home where children can grow up with their siblings. In this family environment, children develop lasting relationships and regain their sense of family identity. The sibling bond is the longest connection that many individuals will have, and SOS Illinois believes that in strengthening that bond, we strengthen our children.
Fostering Families
Our one-of-a-kind Fostering Families Program helps biological parents conquer substance abuse and other obstacles while remaining part of their children's lives. Professional foster parents take care of the children while the biological parent, living in an attached apartment, receives intensive treatment and training. The family stays together, receiving the care and support it needs to become self-reliant and independent.
In Home Family Services
In-Home Family Services help families build on their strengths, tackle tough problems, and stabilize to help youth deal with issues related to gang involvement or intimidation, delinquency, academics, and relationships. Our staff work in the family home and community to help parents gain effective parenting skills, attain support services, resolve conflict and crisis, deter gang involvement and improve social, life, coping, and academic skills.
Where we work
Awards
4-Stars 2019
Charity Navigator
Affiliations & memberships
Council On Accreditation 2018
Council on Accreditation 2022
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of foster youth who completed high school or equivalency
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
Sibling Foster Care
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
100% of our high school seniors graduate each year. SOS Illinois provides tutoring, job skills training, college visits, and more to emphasize importance of education. Only one eligible youth in 2021
Number of children in foster care who have stable placements
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Sibling Foster Care
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of foster youth living with siblings
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Sibling Foster Care
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of clients referred to other services as part of their support strategy
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
In Home Family Services
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
SOS Children's Villages Illinois tailors each child's care to their specific needs, providing them multiple ways to heal in a setting that makes sense for their emotional, physical, and mental health. Our holistic programs and services are designed to offer care to the whole child— body, mind, and spirit—so that they can grow into caring, self-reliant adults.
SOS Illinois aims for:
• Youth returning to family, or a relative, or close friend upon discharge;
• Youth demonstrating improved problem solving and coping skills while in placement;
• Youth learning new skills away from the stresses of life;
• Youth who are discharged will be per a planned discharge (as opposed to a self-discharge);
• Youth matriculating through elementary school; and
• High school seniors graduating.
Children in foster care at SOS Illinois receive an abundance of services and resources to heal their emotional and physical wounds and allow them to concentrate on living and growing instead of merely surviving.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The unique strength of the Villages lies in the collective power of foster parents, staff, and the surrounding community to help children find new hope and trust. At SOS Children's Villages Illinois:
• Children live together with their siblings;
• Children receive care and support from a PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED foster parent. The parents are encouraged to participate in ongoing training and continuing education. Weekly meetings serve as a forum to address family and village issues.
• Children live in private single-family homes in a community of foster care families. This model surrounds the children and foster parents with internal peer support.
• Each child has extracurricular, recreational, or simple family adventure time to reclaim some of the most precious parts of childhood.
• When a foster parent can no longer stay in the house, the children stay put. They benefit from the continued stability of their siblings, neighboring SOS Foster Parents, and the entire community.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
SOS Children's Villages Illinois is serving more children than ever before at its four sites. Each Village offers extensive wrap-around services including comprehensive individual and group counseling, mentoring, and educational and cultural enrichment opportunities. Children gain a sense of safety, security, and self-confidence in a supportive setting where they develop a sense of community.
1. LOCKPORT VILLAGE (opened 1993)
• 18 private, single-family foster homes
2. CHICAGO VILLAGE (opened 2004)
• 19 private, single-family foster homes
3. CASA TEPEYAC (acquired by SOS Children's Villages Illinois 2011)
• In-home family services and parenting classes.
4. ROOSEVELT SQUARE (opened November 2014)
• 14 private, single-family foster homes
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Our unprecedented outcomes set us apart from other agencies offering traditional foster care. As a result of this unique and effective model, in 2019:
500 children were served through our programs and services
We celebrated a 100% high school graduation rate, compared to the national average of 50% of children in foster care
69 children found forever homes
Our foster parents serve an average of 5.1 years, nationally foster parents serve an average of one year
Our programs and services are delivered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
SOS Childrens Villages Illinois also maintains accreditation by the Council on Accreditation (COA). The COA accreditation process involves a detailed review and analysis of both an organizations administrative operationsincluding financial practicesand its service delivery practices. All are measured against international standards of best practice. SOS Childrens Villages Illinois achieved reaccreditation in 2018.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
SOS Children's Villages Illinois
Board of directorsas of 02/26/2024
Mr. Ted Weldon
Lendlease Development Inc.
Term: 2023 - 2024
David Hoffman
Morse Diesel International (retired)
Laurie Holmes
Drinker Biddle & Reath
Jeff Riemer
Lend Lease (retired)
Jim Wolfe
Knight Engineers & Architects
John Trotta
WSP
Rama Dandamundi
Dandamundi's Inc.
Mary Ellen Lacy
Daughters of Charity
Christina Abbott
KPMG
Jonah Siegellak
Millennium Advisors
Mary Pat Burns
Burke Burns & Pinelli, Ltd.
Angelica Alfaro
University of Illinois System
Theodore Weldon
Lendlease Development, Inc.
Mark Wright
Diverse Facility Solutions
Melissa Angelucci
Synnov Group
Don Biernacki
Related Midwest
Jaclyn Jackson
National Equity Fund
Phaedra Leslie
ALL Construction
Mary Person
Clayco
Devin Rowland
KMA Property Management Services
Patricia Thomas
Charles River Associates
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/01/2024GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.