Let It Be Us Hosts Inaugural Adoption Symposium, Bringing Together Child Welfare Leaders Across Chicago and Northern Illinois

Let It Be Us successfully hosted its inaugural Adoption Symposium, bringing together child welfare leaders across Chicago and the Northern Region. The Let It Be Us Adoption Symposium convened a broad coalition of child welfare professionals, adoptive families, advocates, and state leaders to advance the conversation on adoption as a critical form of permanency in Illinois.

The event featured key panelists, including Heidi Mueller, Director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Dr. Margaret Scotellaro, Medical Director of DCFS, Dr. Susan McConnell, Founder and Executive Director of Let It Be Us, and Laura Adams, Founder of iCARE4 Adoptive and Foster Families. Each speaker contributed valuable insights into the current landscape of adoption and the systems working to support permanency for children in foster care. 

“Let It Be Us directly partners with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in the recruitment, matching and placement for children in need of adoptive resources statewide. We are excited about taking the leadership role within the state to educate child welfare partners and advocates alike regarding the latest laws and opportunities facing adoption through foster care in Illinois today,” said Dr. Susan McConnell, of Let It Be Us. “We see this as an annual opportunity to formally work directly with child welfare partners and advocates.” 

The symposium focused on the urgent need for adoptive families for teens, sibling groups, and children with complex needs. Through expert panels and real-life stories, attendees explored the barriers and opportunities in adoption, learned about innovative strategies currently being implemented, and examined how state and community partnerships can strengthen outcomes for children.

Attendees left equipped with knowledge, inspiration, and a deeper sense of connection to the shared goal of ensuring that every child in foster care has the opportunity to grow up in a safe, permanent, and loving home.

The Adoption Symposium marks a significant step forward in the work of Let It Be Us to transform the future of foster care and adoption in Illinois, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to supporting children in need and the families who care for them.

About Let It Be Us
Let It Be Us is a licensed 501(c)3 and child welfare agency dedicated to recruitment, matching and placement within foster care and adoption across the State of Illinois. Through innovative programming and strategic partnerships, Let It Be Us aims to improve outcomes for children in the Illinois child welfare system. Learn more at www.letitbeus.org.

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.