November 15, 2019
By Sarah Thompson, LCSW Why was I placed for adoption? Didn’t my birth parents love me enough to keep me? What did they look like? I asked myself these questions during my childhood in Western Nebraska, where I was raised….
July 10, 2019
Since 2017, the Center for Law and Social Work (CLSW) has been designated by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption as an Illinois partner for Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, a signature program of the foundation that brings children waiting to be…
February 14, 2019
“It Was Challenging, It Was Exciting, and It Was Worth It” As Told By Felicia Stratten Adoption begins in your heart. When Felicia Stratten and her husband Sean decided they wanted to expand their family, they envisioned adopting a 5-year-old…
January 29, 2019
By Katie Friend, MA Adoptions Listing Service and Inquiry Unit and Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Adoption Supervisor Katie Friend says after 25 years in social work, building trusting and genuine relationships with our most vulnerable youth is not only important but…
January 29, 2019
By Ashley Reed, CLSW Attorney-At-Law Why would anyone delay his or her retirement and step back into the role of raising children? The answer is simple for grandparents raising their grandchildren: the children are worth it. The reality of grandparents…
August 13, 2018
In the time of the #MeToo movement, the need for a program like Porchlight Counseling Services is more evident than ever before. This grant from the VNA Foundation, in the amount of $50,000, will make it possible for Porchlight to…
August 13, 2018
Every child deserves a family. That is the mission of CLSW’s newest program, the Adoption Listing Service of Illinois (ALSI). You may be wondering why this program is so important. What makes ALSI deserving of a grant from Wendy’s Wonderful…
