Sometimes after adoption, families experience challenges and need intensive support to keep their new family structure intact. For these families, Illinois offers adoption and guardianship preservation services.
These preservation services include: crisis intervention, assessment, therapeutic intervention, support groups, case management/advocacy and limited cash assistance.
Preservation services can play a crucial role in helping families cope with a variety of issues. For instance, preservation services can assist a child with learning to trust and becoming a part of a family. And they can help a family develop a better understanding of their child’s behaviors.
The goals of all preservation programs are to help parents:
- feel better about their ability to parent
- understand adoption and its impact on children
- connect current behavior to past history
- understand the child’s past losses
- gain skills to help their child
The Illinois Department of Child and Family Services contracts with eight agencies statewide to deliver preservation services to any family who adopts a child. Preservation agency staff are trained in child and family dynamics and are familiar with common issues, such as grief, loss, and attachment. Agency staff work with an adoptive family to develop a service plan to meet their needs, and they can provide home-based service, if necessary.
To get connected to the preservation service provider in your area, call the AICI at 1-800-572-2390 or find the direct number to the provider nearest you below.
