Our Blog
Shelter Confronts Child Welfare Inequity
The harsh reality is not all children are represented equally in the child welfare system, nor do they have equal outcomes. For example, in the American population of children, African Americans make up 15%, but they represent 33% of foster care children. Yet, study after study show child abuse and neglect is lower in Black families than white families…
Celebrating Black History Month
During her 40-year career as a judge in the Domestic Relations Court, Jane saw the worst domestic violence cases, child neglect, discrimination, and the effects of poverty. Being a life-long advocate for children, she made significant changes that last today. Among her accomplishments was ending race-based assignments of juvenile probation officers and ensuring childcare agencies could no longer deny children help because of ethnic background, furthering children’s rights and children’s education….
What Happened to COVID Vaccines for Kids?
To get the facts about COVID vaccines for kids, we researched what the scientific community was posting from Dr. Fauci to Science News, the CDC, the FDA, and many health experts in between. Below is information on which they all agree.
Thanks For the Memories
‘Tis the holiday season when gift-giving plays a prominent role. Much time is spent finding the perfect toy, the right-size clothes, or anything for that hard-to-shop-for relative. Too often, we forget the best gift of all is a happy memory. It can last a lifetime, be opened again and again, and shared…
Shelter Expands Mental Health Services
In response to the needs of children and families in crisis, Shelter is introducing our new Clinical Program. Our staff of experienced, licensed therapists will provide mental health counseling for children we serve and their family members whose mental health impacts their outcomes…
YOU Be the Judge!
For the majority of voters, the judicial races, aka all those unfamiliar names at the bottom of the ballot, get either a default vote of “yes,” “no,” or they skip over them, saying, “I don’t know anything about them…”
Where Good News Is Happening
Our collective mental health is taking a hit every day as the world seems to head further into despair. We are bombarded with bad news and negativity from every direction, and our new normal has become a defensive position in a climate of crisis we believe is beyond our control. We need an infusion of good news, and it’s happening at Shelter…
Safe Social Media For Kids
During social isolation, many kids and their families have attributed social media for keeping them sane, and connectivity is an undeniable benefit of today’s technology. With 95% of teens having access to a smartphone, they can communicate with friends and family, be entertained, learn about news as it happens, and express their creativity all with the tips of their fingers. But the downside of social media is always lurking just beneath the surface…
Voting Barriers Broken in Illinois
On May 21, 2020, in consideration of the pandemic, the Illinois House approved expanding voting by mail in the November election funded by federal pandemic relief funds, thus tearing down one more barrier to residents exercising their right to vote. If you voted in the past two years or if you were registered to vote in the 2020 primary, you’ll automatically receive a vote-by-mail application. If not, you need only request one…
