How Foster Parents Make Up the Backbone of SOS Children’s Villages Illinois

I have had the great pleasure of seeing two SOS Children’s Villages: one in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the other in Chicago, Illinois. While they are markedly different the premise is the same and that is to provide quality care with a loving family for children who have been orphaned or abandoned.

SOS Children's Villages in Chicago, Illinois. — SOS Children’s Villages in Chicago, Illinois.

The SOS Children’s Village I visited in Chicago looks like many neighborhoods you might see anywhere in America, but it is made up of 17 single-family homes led by a Foster Parent with children who desperately need SOS Children’s Villages services. In fact, the Chicago Village is SOS Children’s Villages first urban village in the world. SOS Children’s Villages provides stable family homes for children who may not have parents at all or may have parents who are incapable of taking care of them properly.

And, SOS Children’s Villages’ Foster Parents are dedicated individuals who have experience with child care and commit to the job of caring for children full-time. They live in one of three SOS Children’s Village Illinois communities in a single-family home, and take care of brothers and sisters with the assistance and resources provided by Village staff, therapists, and other Foster Parents. SOS Children’s Villages prides itself in keeping siblings together. In fact, the home I visited had three siblings who had all been kept one family unit.

I was impressed by the set-up of the home and how much of a wonderful home life the children were afforded from their Foster Mother. It automatically felt like a welcoming and safe environment for the children, which they wholeheartedly deserve given their life circumstances.

Foster Parents Needed

SOS Children’s Villages Illinois currently has an immediate need for Foster Parents. If you’re interested in exploring how to become a SOS Children’s Villages Foster Parent or know someone who does, download this flier for more information: SOS Children’s Villages Illinois – Foster Parents (PDF). You can also visit their career page.

Also, hear from SCV Foster Parents themselves in this brand-new video.