What a start to the year! After a whirlwind holiday season, our programs hit the ground running. From launching Thrive’s spring programming and empowering KIPP One Academy middle schoolers with civic leadership opportunities to Early Learning Center workshops on goal setting and healthy habits, January was all about impact. Our foster care team secured successful adoptions and guardianships, earning well-deserved commendations, while the Place the Hope campaign raised over $260,000, creating life-changing opportunities for children worldwide.
Check out the highlights below.
Check below and see what our amazing teams have been up to over the last month.
Month in Review
Thrive has been preparing for the spring program this past month, which will begin on February 3rd. Thrive is excited to return to KIPP One Academy and will be offering new programming to our youth. Additionally, Thrive Friday will begin Friday, February 7th. Thrive is looking forward to the return of our Friday programming and is excited about all the STEM and art activities that Thrivers will do.
Child Thrive will partner with the Civic Leadership Foundation (CLF) to offer a new civic engagement and leadership development program to KIPP One Academy middle schoolers. CLF will be providing Child Thrive with curriculum, training, and coaching. CLF has been a long-time partner of CPA, and Child Thrive is thrilled to be working with them.
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Month in Review
The ELC started the year strong with resources and events focused on New Year’s resolutions, goal setting, habit building, and financial literacy—helping participants make lasting, positive changes. January was especially busy with parent training, including sessions on financial literacy through the Center for Changing Lives, Grocery Shopping on a Budget, and Mental Health: Supporting with Routines & Transitions. These workshops gave families valuable tools to build healthy habits and financial stability in the new year.
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CPA shoutout goes to:
- Ms. Darnisha, our dedicated Kitchen Coordinator! Since starting in the fall and becoming fully independent in December, she has worked nonstop to ensure our children receive nutritious breakfasts, lunches, and snacks—while carefully considering dietary needs and nutrition goals. We’re so grateful to have her on our team!
Month-in-Review
Our Home Base families kicked off the year by building connections and routines! At our first socialization, families practiced “I love you” rituals from the Conscious Discipline curriculum, and kids engaged in a fun color identification activity.
Later in the month, one family braved the cold to create a routine book, reinforcing structure and independence. Socialization is key to early learning, and we look forward to more moments of growth next month!
Month in Review
Although the holiday season is over, our foster care staff is back in action, focused on supporting the families who rely on us. Our case managers are fully engaged in helping families with adoptions and guardianship, ensuring stability and growth. We’re also committed to assisting the few families impacted by recent immigration crackdowns, providing the support they need during this challenging time.
CPA shoutout goes to:
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Case Manager Almeta Rollins for receiving her second commendation in less than two months from a Juvenile Court judge for her exceptional work on a case. Almeta also earned recognition from a DCFS attorney for her dedication to another case. Great job, Almeta!
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Care Case Manager Sean Cline for finalizing the adoption of two special-needs clients. This adoption holds special significance as it brings permanency to children who were previously victims of a failed adoption through another agency. Congratulations, Sean, on making a lasting impact!
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Case Aide Blanca Reyes for stepping in on short notice to accompany a client with special needs to a necessary appointment. Great job, Blanca, for going above and beyond to support our clients!
The Power of Community
The Children’s Place International community has come together over the past several months to achieve something truly incredible—something that reaffirms the power of solidarity and strengthens our hope for the future!
Thanks to the dedication of our generous donors, sponsors, and volunteers, the Place the Hope campaign has raised over $260,000! This vital support is already making a difference, preventing childhood deaths and opening pathways out of poverty for children and youth across the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa.
This achievement has an immediate and lasting impact on young people facing immense challenges.
Take Frances (pictured, name changed for privacy), who lost her father to illness at a young age and grew up navigating hardship in Haiti. With the support of Children’s Place International and her own determination, she is now pursuing her dream of becoming a nurse in her community. Thanks to the success of Place the Hope, more children will have the opportunity to follow in her footsteps.
Frances’ story is just one of thousands made possible when we refuse to accept a world where children struggle to survive due to circumstances beyond their control.
Creating a more just world takes all of us. On behalf of the children and families in our Child Thrive programs around the world, thank you for your generosity, your partnership, and your belief in this mission.
We’re excited for the triumphs ahead—for the children empowered by this work, for the family’s finding stability, and for the local partners making a lasting impact.
Thank you for opening your heart to ensure that the children you may never meet have the resources they need to live with dignity and hope.
Partnerships & Collaborations
Our team consistently explores avenues to engage local corporations in funding and volunteer opportunities with the aim of creating a network of child champions.
Major Company & Foundation Supporters
AbbVie, Baird and Warner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Moderna Therapeutics, Old Saint Patrick’s Church, Pledgeling Foundation, Shockley Family Charitable Fund, Takeda
Major Individual Supporters
Richard Bae, William H. Bailey, David Bellville & Ray Cornils, Jenny & Dave Blickenstaff, Timothy Casper, Laura and Jonathan Fairman, Stephen Frost, Vicki Hadaway & Virginia Quinonez, Donald G. Hoffman, Howard Jacob, Vicki Jacobs, Hannah Kirby, Binita Kwankin & Joe Hmieleski, Betsy Pilmer, Allison Roberts, Robert Ryan, Jana Schwering, Ty Shockley, Nancy Siepman, Carole Streicher, Randall Swatland, Amy & John Ward, Dominique Wilson
In-Kind Donations
Kayla Moore: 10 bags of extra holiday gifts for young boys (toys, games, books, coats, and other items).
Volunteer. Donate. Join Our Team.
Join us in supporting Chicago’s most vulnerable kids! We have a variety of volunteer, support, and engagement opportunities available. Your involvement helps us provide essential items like art supplies, diapers, emergency gift cards, and more to families in need. Every contribution makes a big difference—thank you for being a part of our community!
Engage with Us Online
You can help amplify CPA’s work by connecting with us on social media. Like, comment, and share our posts to spread awareness, inspire new volunteers, and attract donors to support our mission.
