Every Child Deserves Support
Our Mission: Building a secure & hopeful today, so children facing health issues & poverty succeed tomorrow.
Serving Children & Parents since 1991.
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty, Illness, Violence & Racial Injustice
Children’s Place Association provides essential and comprehensive services that are lacking in disinvested neighborhoods—early education, trauma therapy, support groups, basic healthcare—by crafting personalized plans for a child’s and their family’s well-being.
Our goal is to surmount the barriers to thriving that many children and families in impoverished areas experience, and to help them achieve the resiliency, health and knowledge they need to navigate life’s challenges successfully.
Every Child Deserves Support
Our Mission: Building a secure & hopeful today, so children facing health issues & poverty succeed tomorrow.
Our Equity-Based Framework for Systemic Change
Community Led
We believe people who live and work in underserved communities best understand their own needs and solutions, and, thus, we are guided by their goals and approaches.
Collaboration
We work alongside community members as equals, drawing on a shared vision while leveraging our unique strengths to make the greatest impact.
Strengths-based Approach
We strive to see the whole child, family, and community – not just their vulnerabilities. We avoid negative stereotypes and outdated “charity” models.
Sustainability
We strive to sustain projects until community goals are achieved, recognizing that real change takes time, commitment, and continued resourcing.
Helping Chicago’s Children and Their Families
Since 1991, we’ve been providing care for children and families facing extreme poverty, health issues, violence, housing insecurity and hunger.
What sets us apart:
- We focus on whole family support, knowing that the health of the family is the health of the child.
- We offer a comprehensive, evidence-based service model integrating needed trauma therapy, health services, social services, early education, after school programs, foster care/adoption, family support and supportive housing.
- Our approach is based on the conviction that the community, including its youth, is the expert on its own challenges and that community people are the most likely to propose and shape effective interventions.
- Our early learning program specializes in integrating comprehensive health services and enrolling children with special needs and disabilities other preschools can’t accommodate.
- We focus on neighborhoods challenged by violence, lack of investment, extreme poverty, and poor resources.
- We’re able to be a resource for families without sufficient income – many earn less than $5000 annually.
- We actively hire people who reflect the community we serve. Persons of color make up 86% of our management team and 79% of direct service staff.
Imagine a future where every child has access to the developmental support they need to experience a quality of life that elevates their perception of who they are and creates a pathway of hope and resilience – regardless of circumstances or zip code.
Help us keep Chicago’s children safe and growing beautifully with the assistance of our Children’s Place programs.
OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
Early Childhood Education and Care
Early education is vital for a child’s future achievement, yet low-income families often lack access to early learning opportunities, especially those with children facing illness or disabilities.
Child and Family Support Services
We work with families confronting serious health conditions, trauma and financial challenges to provide housing, summer camps, financial counseling, mental health services and case management.
Foster Care and Adoption
Our Foster Care & Adoption program matches children with capable, loving foster parents who are trained by our organization to care for each child’s specific needs.