November has been a month of generosity and connection at CPA! We’re incredibly thankful to all the donors who purchased gifts for our Adopt A Family gift drive, ensuring the children and families we serve have a joyous holiday season. Volunteers will be sorting these thoughtful gifts this weekend, spreading even more cheer.
A heartfelt thank you also goes to the businesses of Roscoe Village, Kendra Scott, and Altar’d State for their incredible support—collecting toys, hosting events, and donating proceeds to benefit CPA families.
Our Time to Thrive campaign is gaining momentum, helping us build vital resources for the year ahead. We’re also looking forward to showcasing Hope Fore the Holidays this Sunday, December 8th, a special event to celebrate the season together. Tickets are still available (see below)!
Finally, we honored Adoption Awareness Month, sharing stories highlighting adoption’s transformative power. We also hosted a Health and Wellness event with our amazing partners from Vitality Group, who inspired our students to embrace healthy habits and self-care. December promises to be as impactful and rewarding as we continue this incredible journey. Thank you for being part of our mission to help children and families thrive!
Take a look and see what we’ve been up to.
Upcoming Public Events
- November 20 – December 20: Hope in Roscoe Village
- Saturday & Sunday, December 7 & 8: Adopt A Family Gift Sorting
- Sunday, December 8: Hope Fore The Holidays fundraiser
- Saturday, December 14: Shop with Purpose, Kendra Scott Chicago
Time to Thrive Campaign
Together, we’re building brighter futures! Families, staff, and supporters are coming together to create lasting change in our community. Be a part of the impact—donate today and become a CPA Child Champion!
- $25 provides school supplies for a child in need, ensuring they have the tools to succeed in the classroom.
- $50 funds a week of healthy snacks for children in after-school programs, supporting their nutrition and focus.
- $100 provides two weeks of over-the-counter medications for medically-complex children and transportation for health services.
Last call! WGIRLS Chicago’s Hope Fore the Holidays is almost here, and you don’t want to miss it! Enjoy 9-holes of mini golf, great snacks, exciting prizes—and a silent auction with incredible items up for grabs! All proceeds benefit Children’s Place Association, so grab your tickets now and join the fun!
Single ticket $65 includes 9-holes golf, food, drinks, and a ticket for prize drawing.
Saturday & Sunday, December 7th & 8th: Volunteer Elves
Join us for a weekend of gift sorting on December 7th & 8th! Volunteers will help organize and prepare gifts for delivery to families. We especially need volunteers on the 8th.
Saturday, December 21st: ELC Wonderbrunch
Follette Park, Chicago, IL
Volunteers needed: 9AM – 2PM Setup to help setup and run different stations like crafts and karaoke, followed by cleanup.
Health and Wellness Camp
We are so grateful to our partners at Vitality Group for hosting a Health and Wellness mini camp at our Thrive Center. Together, students and Vitality Group team members explored personal hygiene, self-care, and ways to build healthy habits. Students even created their own daily timelines to help them start the day with confidence.
Your thoughtful conversations and support inspire our students to embrace healthy choices and thrive every day. Thank you, Vitality Group, for making a difference!
Community Partners Making a Difference
We’re incredibly grateful to Kendra Scott, Altar’d State, and the amazing businesses of Roscoe Village for stepping up to support CPA in so many ways this season! From toy collections to donating a percentage of sales, their generosity helps bring joy and resources to the children and families we serve. Thank you for making a lasting impact in our community!
The Denim Lounge
Thank you to The Denim Lounge for hosting a Swap & Shop event! Customers traded gently used denim for discounts, donating over 400 pairs to benefit CPA kids and families. What an incredible community effort!
BRIDGE INDUSTRIAL
A big thank you to our friends at Bridge Industrial for donating a new gaming machine! Our Thrivers are already loving this exciting addition, and we’re so grateful for your support in creating a fun, engaging space for the kids.
Check below and see what our amazing teams have been up to over the last month.
Month in Review
Child Thrive programming thrived this month! At KIPP, students explored a new STEM curriculum from Invention Convention, learning to think like engineers and inventors by designing and building solutions to real-world problems.
We welcomed Katrell Folie as our new Youth Coordinator and are excited about the energy and passion she brings to supporting young people.
CLICK HERE for more Thrive pictures.
CPA shoutout goes to:
- Congratulations to Thrive Program Director, Jakina Dortch, for being selected for the Chicago Learning Exchange Executive Leadership Program! Jakina has already begun applying strategies from the program to support her growth and strengthen her team. We’re proud of her dedication to leadership and innovation!
- Child Thrive’s youth coordinators, Jerlisa Clark and Katrell Folie, for their hard work in facilitating programming and fostering community with our youth—sent with appreciation from Jakina!
Month in Review
Last month was filled with meaningful milestones and celebrations at the Early Learning Center!
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We hosted Familysgiving and a Health & Wellness Fair, welcoming more than 35 families. Participants received Thanksgiving meals, shopped at our clothing swap, enjoyed a food demo with our Nutritionist, connected with our Mental Health Consultant, and created family crafts.
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Teachers completed Q1 educational checkpoints for each student, ensuring personalized support for their growth.
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Teams conducted Family Child Reviews, a comprehensive snapshot of each family’s engagement and plans for future support.
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The program celebrated full enrollment in both Home-Based and Center-Based Early Head Start (ages 0–2), a testament to our commitment to serving the community!
Here’s to a month of progress, connections, and continued support for our families!
CLICK HERE for more pictures.
CPA shoutout goes to:
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Ms. Rachel Braun for completing her first MSW semester while working full-time! As a Family Support Specialist, she balances her role with clinical hours and classwork on her journey toward a Masters of Social Work degree.
Socialization
In November, the Home Base team hosted their twice-monthly socialization event, bringing education and fun to families. Parents dove into understanding their babies’ emotions by creating emotion books, exploring conscious discipline strategies, and learning how to better interpret their little ones’ cues. These events provide valuable tools for parents while fostering connection and growth!
CLICK HERE to see more Home Base pictures.
Month in Review
In November, our foster care staff and foster parents collaborated to update the agency’s Foster Parent Law Implementation Plan, which outlines foster parent rights and responsibilities. Once finalized, we submitted the updated plan to DCFS.
We’ve also been preparing for our upcoming COA reaccreditation and the annual DCFS Licensing Monitoring visit.
Additionally, November marked National Adoption Month, and we shared special posts and stories to highlight the profound impact of adoption on adoptees, adoptive families, and the wider community.
CPA shoutout goes to:
- During National Adoption Month, a foster/adoptive parent praised our team—especially Case Manager Almeta Rollins and Nurse Christina Gould—for their phenomenal support in adopting her daughter. A Juvenile Court judge also commended Almeta’s hard work and diligence, stating she is one of the best case managers she has encountered. Kudos to Christina and double kudos to Almeta!
Join CPI Tomorrow Night!
As we approach the season of giving and gratitude, we warmly invite you to join us for a special evening of joy, celebration, and community.
Let’s gather to honor the inspiring work of the 2024 Place the Hope campaign, and to celebrate the impact we’ve made together this year supporting vulnerable kids & families across the globe!
Event Details:📅 Date: Thursday, December 5th
Time: 5:30 to 8:30 PM (central)📍
Location: Artifact Events – 4325 N. Ravenswood Avenue, Chicago, IL 60613 – We will be in the south building. Easy street parking is available by the venue.
Highlights of the Evening:
✨ A special recap of our achievements and stories from this year’s campaign
🎶 Holiday music and entertainment
🍲 Delicious food and festive refreshments
Whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or are new to our cause, we can’t wait to celebrate together. Please feel free to bring family members, friends, or colleagues to share in this special evening!
Thank you for being part of the Children’s Place International family. We look forward to celebrating with you!
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 Foundation, Inc., DL Dohler Charitable Fund, Love Charlie LLC, Muldoon Giving Fund, Pauline Taylor Foundation
Major Individual Supporters
Ivan Adames, Richard Bae, William Bailey, Marjorie C. Benton, Alexandra Brzezinski, Meghan Brooks, Joseph Burton, Jeffrey Clough, Brad Dunlap, Doug Dunlap, Marc Harris, Roy Hefner, Joe Hmieleski, Cliff Holmes, Howard Jacob, Hilary Keno, Binita Kwankin, Thomas Lang, John Langland, John Lewis, Michelle Marconi, Peter Margolin, Leslie A. McLeod, Dianne Moody, Aimee Morrin, Patrick Motherway, Helen Nead, Chuck Saul & Judy Nolan, Barbara Noyes, Daniel O’Connor, Gary Pattengale, Fred Peter, Chris Reddick, Travis Rotelli, Nancy Siepman, James & Mary Ann Sloand, Suzanne Soucy, John Sweeney, Joe & Mim Terranova, Derek Wiebenson, Doug Wilkerson, Bob Witt, Mark Wojcik, Peter Zich
In-Kind Donations
Beads for Friendship bracelet making thanks to At Properties.
Retro Football Game thanks to Bridge Industrial.
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!
Join Our Team
We have openings in our Child & Family Support Services, Early Learning Center, Home Base Learning, Child Thrive, and Foster Care & Adoption.
Invest in a Child’s Future
We believe EVERY child and family deserves equal access to care, safety, and shelter – regardless of circumstances or zip code. Your support helps us provide critical services to those most affected by serious health issues and extreme poverty.
Come join us socially
An easy way to support CPA’s work is by engaging with us on our social media channels. By liking, commenting, and sharing our work, you help us expand our reach bringing in new volunteers, donors, and awareness.
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