At Family Focus, foster and adoptive families find:
* The support that all families need:
Family Focus helps families of all kinds become and stay strong and resilient. That includes helping foster families deal with the unique challenges they face, and building on their strengths. As one of the nation’s flagship family support programs, Family Focus provides a core set of services to meet the needs of foster families: Parenting education classes and materials, child development activities, parent-to-parent support groups and mentoring, parent-child activities, and information and referrals.

* Partners in caring for children and teens: Family Focus provides resources that support the strengths and needs of foster parents, including special support groups, information for grandparents raising grandchildren, home visits, and more. Staff partners with foster parents in relationships of equality and respect, recognizing their important role in their community.

* A strong sense of belonging:
Like all kids, foster children need to feel special and important. At Family Focus, children and youth of all ages—from infants to teens—participate in safe, fun programs with their neighbors and family members, led by staff who are experienced and trained to provide the stability and support that all children need to succeed.

* Quality, community-based services and support:
Family Focus has been serving and strengthening families with children of all ages since 1976. We provide quality, award-winning programs and services that support parents, children, and families and connect them to their communities.

FOSTER FAMILIES
Programs specially designed to strengthen foster families can be found at the following Family Focus centers:
*Aurora; * Cicero; * Englewood;
* Evanston; * Hermosa; * Lawndale

This summer our foster parents were granted certificates recognizing their successful participation in the program. (Click here to see photos.)

ADOPTIVE FAMILIES

Even experienced parents need help dealing with stress and transitions. As children grow and change, it can be hard for parents and other caregivers to maintain the close relationship needed to continue guiding them on the road to a successful life. And families making the big step to permanent placement can find that this additional change, while a cause for celebration, can also be a source of stress.

On May 8, 2009, Family Focus launched a new post-permanency support program, HomeFocus. Funded by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (IDCFS), the program collaborates with community-based organizations to provide services for adoptive and legal subsidized guardianship families living in Aurora, the West Side of Chicago, and adjacent communities.

Click HERE for information on Home Focus