Let It Be Us Receives One-Year Grant from The Gies Foundation to Expand Adoption Recruitment in Illinois

Let It Be Us Receives One-Year Grant from The Gies Foundation to Expand Adoption Recruitment in Illinois

Barrington, Illinois — Let It Be Us is pleased to announce that it has received a one-year grant from The Gies Foundation to fund two new Adoption Recruiter positions that will significantly expand the organization’s statewide efforts to identify adoptive families for children and youth waiting in Illinois foster care.

The Gies Foundation, established by philanthropist Larry Gies, supports organizations that improve opportunities for children and families through investments in education, health, and human services. The Foundation is known for its commitment to strengthening communities and expanding opportunities for those facing significant barriers.

The grant will allow Let It Be Us to increase recruitment capacity through the Adoption Listing Service of Illinois, helping more waiting children connect with qualified adoptive families while reducing the time children spend in foster care.

“This investment from The Gies Foundation represents much more than funding for two staff members,” said Susan A. McConnell, Executive Director of Let It Be Us. “It represents an investment in permanency. Every additional recruiter means more conversations with families, more opportunities to identify the right match for a child, and ultimately more children growing up in permanent, loving families.”

The two new Adoption Recruiters will focus on identifying and supporting prospective adoptive families for Illinois children, with particular attention given to youth who historically experience longer waits for permanency, including teenagers, sibling groups, and children with medical, developmental, and behavioral needs.

In addition, Let It Be Us will evaluate recruitment diversity by tracking the recruitment of families from across Illinois and families with the skills and experience needed to meet the diverse needs of waiting children.

“These metrics will allow us to demonstrate not only how many families we recruit, but more importantly how those efforts translate into stable, successful, permanent families for children,” McConnell said. “We believe accountability is essential, and we are grateful that The Gies Foundation shares our commitment to measurable outcomes.”

About Let It Be Us

Let It Be Us is an Illinois licensed Child Welfare Agency dedicated to developing collaborative, innovative solutions that improve recruitment, matching, placement, and permanency for children and youth in foster care. Through statewide recruitment initiatives, the Adoption Listing Service of Illinois, the Heart Gallery of Illinois, emergency placement services, and foster home recruitment programs, Let It Be Us works to ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow up in a safe, loving, and permanent family.

Media Contact:
Susan A. McConnell, DSW, MBA
Executive Director
Let It Be Us
Mobile: 847-528-2044
Email: susanmcconnell@letitbeus.org
www.letitbeus.org