Become a Licensed Foster Parent / Family with Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois

Become a Licensed Foster Parent / Family with Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois – What Makes Their Approach Unique

Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois leads the way for those who want to become licensed foster parents. What makes Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois’ approach unique? They offer exceptional support and care for their families as well as the children they serve and they stand out among Illinois child welfare agencies in several meaningful ways:

1.  Scale & Reach

Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois is the second-largest community-based child welfare agency in the state, with 16 sites, over 400 staff, and annually serving more than 2,100 children in foster care as well as hundreds of families through counseling and preventative programs.

2.  Exceptional Outcomes & Accountability

Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois achieved a Four-Star rating (98%) on Charity Navigator, signaling outstanding financial governance, transparency, and program impact.

3.  Innovative & Specialized Programs

Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois manages their Regenerations Program that supports foster youth also involved in the justice system, with excellent outcomes: 90% avoid reincarceration and none require residential care. 

Furthermore, participation in Lutheran Services in America’s Family Stabilization Initiative enables Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois to drive equitable, evidence-based permanency efforts, especially for Black and Latino children, facilitating 338 permanent placements since 2016.

4.  Faith-Based Yet Inclusive

As a faith-founded agency, Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois integrates Lutheran values (e.g., compassion, dignity), but is welcoming to people of all faiths, races, orientations, and identities via its W.I.D.E. – Welcoming, Inclusive, Diverse & Equitable – initiative.

5.  Holistic Spectrum of Services

Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois offers a full continuum: foster care, adoption, counseling, youth emergency shelter, prevention, housing assistance, plus Camp Wartburg and thrift stores. Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois supports children and families across multiple dimensions, reducing future crisis and easing transitions.

Let It Be Us recruits all types of foster homes for Lutheran Child & Family Services, including traditional foster care, specialized foster care, emergency foster care, and respite foster care. LCFS is the second-largest community-based child welfare agency in Illinois, dedicated to improving the well-being of people across the state by protecting children, strengthening families, and building futures for those who have experienced trauma. ​In a partnership with Let It Be Us, Lutheran Children and Families reaches their mission to nurture and strengthen children and families in need.

Let It Be Us recruits homes in the following areas: Northern Region of Illinois, Southern Region of Illinois, Central Region of Illinois, and Cook County

We recruit the following homes for Lutheran Child and Family Services:

Traditional Foster Care provides a safe, temporary home for children and youth who have been removed from their families due to abuse, neglect, or other safety concerns. Foster parents offer stability, care, and support while the child’s long-term plan—such as reunification, guardianship, or adoption—is determined.

Specialized Foster Care serves children and teens with more complex emotional, behavioral, or medical needs. These foster parents receive additional training, resources, and often higher levels of support to care for youth who may have experienced trauma, have disabilities, or need therapeutic interventions.

About Let It Be Us
Let It Be Us is an Illinois 501(c)3 and licensed child welfare agency. The mission of Let It Be Us is to provide collaborative, innovative solutions of effective recruitment and placement within Illinois foster care and adoption. The Let It Be Us platform manages the Adoption Listing Service of Illinois and the Heart Gallery of Illinois, engines of success for Illinois foster care adoptions. The Let It Be Us vision is for all children in the Illinois child welfare system to achieve educational equity, employment equity, and overall well being through the incorporation of Let It Be Us Programming into statewide advancements in foster care and adoption recruitment and placement. For more information about Let It Be Us, visit www.letitbeus.org.