For children in foster care, maintaining their cultural practices and traditions is an incredibly important component of being able to hold on to their identity. During a time of heavy transition for these youth, keeping those ties intact is crucial. At One Family Illinois, we proudly celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month as we are fortunate enough to serve diverse communities, including Hispanic and Latino youth in foster care. As part of the services we offer in our Villages, Bilingual Child Welfare Specialists help bridge the important gap with biological parents who speak mainly Spanish. By being able to provide clear communication, these biological parents can hear crucial updates on their children in our care. Additionally, our family strengthening facility at Casa Tepeyac serves those in the Back of the Yards community, which includes a heavy population of Latino families and provides preventative services in both English and Spanish.
Hispanic Heritage Month Shines a Spotlight on the Need for Spanish-Speaking Foster Parents
In Illinois, it is legally required that children in foster care with primarily Spanish-speaking biological parents be placed with foster parents that can also speak Spanish. This allows a clear means of communication between biological and foster parents and is vital to ensuring youth in foster care receive the highest quality of care without requiring a translator. Spanish-speaking foster parents create a smooth flow of processes within the court system as well. By eliminating a language barrier, errors that might otherwise occur can be mitigated. At One Family Illinois, we are careful in ensuring the the youth in our care who require Spanish-speaking Foster Parents are able to be placed in a fitting Village home.
Unfortunately, there are currently not enough Spanish-speaking Foster Parents for children in foster care at One Family Illinois or otherwise to serve the children who need them. If you are a native Spanish speaker or hold Spanish as a secondary language, we invite you to consider becoming a full-time Foster Parent with One Family Illinois. We also encourage you to share this opportunity with others in your circle who may find this mission-based career a perfect fit.
Casa Tepeyac Serves Hispanic and Latino Families in Chicago’s Back of the Yards
Our Casa Tepeyac preventative services location offers supportive programming and resources to at-risk families. These include offering classes, one-on-one meetings, and resources in Spanish so that it can be of greatest accessibility to the community in the Back of the Yard, which consists primarily of native Spanish speakers. Discover the impact Casa Tepeyac is making for children and families.
The Supportive Parenting Classes series at Casa Tepeyac has been an incredible asset and is centered entirely around the needs of the community. Learn more about how this free program supports biological parents of children in foster care at One Family Illinois and parents within the surrounding communities.
Support Diverse Children in Foster Care in Honor of Hispanic Heritage Month
When you make a donation to One Family Illinois, your donated funds help ensure we are able to continue providing culturally-affirming care, on-site clinical support and case management, and gatherings that encourage the youth in our care to celebrate and love who they are.