Child Welfare

CHILD WELFARE SERVICES DEPARTMENT
The Educational Services Department provides academic instruction, independent living and vocational skills, advocacy and supportive services to clients pre-school to young adult. Having its start in 1970 with the Day Treatment Program for behaviorally and emotionally disturbed students, the Educational Services Department has grown to become a diverse network of academic services for pre-schoolers through young adults. The Department's programs work to enhance the academic functioning and development of each client to their highest level of functioning.

CAYIT Social Work Intership Program
Often needed specialties become rare as new ones develop. The CAYIT Social Work Intership Program, was designed to develop professional resources for children and families.  The Program encourages and guides Master's of Social Work interns into the field of child welfare and case management social work.

Family Advocacy House
One of South Central's newest programs (May, 2008), Family Advocacy House provides community support case management services to children and families in St. Clair County, East St. Louis, Illinois. the program is designed to reduce the number of families entering the foster care system by providing training and services with the purpose of strengthening family coping skills and improving family communication and stability. Click here to view our Family Advocacy Brochure.

Post Adoption Program
The Post Adoption Program provides intensive, community-based therapeutic and support services to adoptive families in identified LANS within Cook County.  Services include intensive mediation services; family counseling; information and referral; case management and service planning; support groups; parenting groups, 24-hour crisis response; mentor services; advocacy; and limited respite services.

Project S.T.R.I.V.E.
Funded by the Department of Children and Family Services, Project S.T.R.I.V.E. (Strategies to Rejuvenate Interest in Education) is an educational advocacy program for wards and former wards of the State. Staff at South Central are assigned to area elementary and high schools to work directly with this targeted population of children to ensure that they receive the assistance needed in order that they can reach, or exceed grade level in all core subjects. Staff counsel students, work with foster parents and caretakers, serve as liaison with the school, and refer children to needed outside services.

The Child & Youth Investment Team (CAYIT) and CAYIT Master’s of Social Work Internship Program
The Child & Youth Investment Team (CAYIT) and CAYIT Master’s of Social Work Internship Program serves wards of the state through a multi-disciplinary team approach. The program’s target population are those youth who are at risk of losing their placement or who have frequent placement disruptions. The CAYIT Program is not yet a year old, however, the program’s seven therapist have convened over 100 staffings to ensure safe appropriate placements. In addition, a Field Service Instructor was recently hired to guide and train MSW interns in the field of case management social work. To date, seven (7) interns have been place within the Department of Children and Family Services to learn the particulars of the child welfare field.