Foster Care

1616 N. Arlington Heights Road
Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004-3980
847.255.8060
Fax: 847.590.6184
E-mail: shelter@shelter-inc.org

For emergency housing for children and adolescents 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, please call:

847.255.8060

Home
Services
Service Area
Referral and Placement
Foster Parent Support
How You Can Help
Special Events
Spring 2008 Newsletter
Career Opportunities
Contact Us
Additional Sites of Interest
Annual Report

Our Mission

Helping and protecting children who are abused, neglected, dependent or in need of supervision. We do this by:

	Providing 24-hour emergency and longer-term care
	Creating community awareness and education to prevent such abuse and neglect
	Promoting healthy families to reduce child abuse and neglect

Community Partner

Foster Care

Foster Care Program

Program Type: Emergency, traditional and home-of-relative foster care

Client Description: Children and adolescents who have been abused or neglected, are dependent, or are in need of supervision

Age Eligibility: Birth through age 17

Length of Stay: Determined by the needs of the child or adolescent

Location: Northwest Suburbs of Chicago, Illinois

Referrals May Be Made By:

	Social service agencies
	School or medical staff
	Police departments
	Parents
	Clergy
	Concerned citizens
	Adolescents (self-referrals)

Services Include:

	Physical examinations by a medical doctor for each child and adolescent
	Recruitment and licensing of foster families by Shelter staff
	Foster parent training
	Supervision by Shelter caseworkers
	Reunification of children or adolescents and their families whenever possible

Shelter has three foster care programs for children and adolescents from birth through age 17. Emergency Foster Care is a short-term program. It is the only program of its kind in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, and can be accessed by any child or adolescent in the community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This service is for families who are experiencing a crisis that impacts on their ability to care for their children or adolescents, such as:

	Eviction
	Divorce
	Unemployment
	Parental hospitalization
	Mental illness
	Substance abuse
	Domestic violence
	Abuse and neglect

When it is not in the best interest of children and adolescents to return home, the second choice is Home-of-Relative Foster Care, which gives children and adolescents a sense of identity and belonging. If relatives are not available, then children and adolescents are placed in Traditional Foster Care, where the caretakers are not related to the children and adolescents. Home-of-Relative and Traditional Foster Care are longer-term programs than Emergency Foster Care.

Regardless of the program, foster care is not a permanent solution for the children and adolescents in our care. If reunification is not an option, children and adolescents will be adopted or relatives will become their guardians.

For more information about our foster care programs, please

	click here to download a brochure, or
	contact our Foster Care Department at 847.255.8060, or
	send an e-mail to shelter@shelter-inc.org.

If you need Adobe^® Reader to view, save and/or print the brochure, download a free copy of the software by clicking here:

Hit Counter

[ Home ] [ Services ] [ Service Area ] [ Referral and Placement ] [ Foster Parent Support ] [ How You Can Help ] [ Special Events ] [ Spring 2008 Newsletter ] [ Career Opportunities ] [ Contact Us ] [ Additional Sites of Interest ] [ Annual Report ]