Open Your Home. Change a Life. Foster with Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI)
- Latest News
- April 15, 2026
Open Your Home. Change a Life. Foster with Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI)
Across Northern, Central, and Southern Illinois, children are waiting – not just for a place to stay, but for a place to feel safe, understood, and supported. Some need traditional foster homes that offer stability and routine. Others need therapeutic foster homes, where caregivers are prepared to support deeper emotional, behavioral, or developmental needs.
No matter the level of care, one truth remains: the right family can change everything.
Partnering with Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) means stepping into this role with the training, structure, and support you need to succeed.
Why Foster – And Why Now?
Children enter foster care through no fault of their own. They need adults who can provide:
- Safety and consistency
- Patience and understanding
- A steady, caring presence
As a foster parent, you can:
- Help a child stabilize and begin to heal
- Support reunification – or provide permanency through adoption
- Be the person a child remembers as the one who showed up
And importantly – you will be supported every step of the way.
Two Meaningful Paths: Traditional & Therapeutic Foster Care
Traditional Foster Care
Traditional foster parents provide:
- A stable, nurturing home environment
- Daily structure and guidance
- Support for children adjusting to a new setting
This is an ideal path for individuals and families who want to make a difference through consistency, care, and everyday connection.
Therapeutic Foster Care
Therapeutic foster parents care for children who may have:
- Experienced significant trauma
- Behavioral or emotional challenges
- Developmental or mental health needs
These foster parents receive:
- Specialized training
- Ongoing clinical support
- Close collaboration with therapists and caseworkers
This role is deeply impactful – and LSSI ensures you are never navigating it alone.
Why Foster with LSSI?
Choosing the right agency is critical – especially when considering therapeutic care. LSSI offers the scale, experience, and infrastructure to fully support foster families.
1. Statewide Support, Local Connection
LSSI serves families across Illinois, ensuring:
- Local caseworkers who know your community
- Regional resources and responsive support
- A connected, statewide network of care
2. The Strength of a Large, Established Agency
Working with a large agency like LSSI means:
- 24/7 support and crisis response
- Robust training for both traditional and therapeutic foster parents
- Access to behavioral health and clinical services
- Strong coordination with state and community partners
This is especially critical for therapeutic foster parents who need real-time, expert support.
3. A Wraparound, Whole-Person Approach
LSSI is known for supporting the entire ecosystem around the child.
That includes:
- Mental health services
- Family stabilization resources
- Coaching and guidance for caregivers
Whether you choose traditional or therapeutic fostering, you are part of a team-based, relational model of care.
5. A Mission That Guides the Work
Founded in 1867, LSSI brings over 150 years of experience serving children and families.
Their mission:
Bringing healing, justice, and wholeness to people and communities.
This is especially powerful in therapeutic foster care, where healing is not just a goal – it is the daily work.
What Makes LSSI Unique?
- Capacity to support both traditional and therapeutic homes at scale
- Integrated services – mental health, family services, and more
- Strong clinical infrastructure for higher-needs placements
- Commitment to thoughtful matching and long-term stability
LSSI doesn’t just place children – they invest in successful, supported relationships.
You Don’t Have to Be Perfect – You Just Have to Be Present
There is no single profile of a foster parent. What matters most is:
- A willingness to learn
- An openness to support
- A commitment to showing up
Whether you feel called to provide stability through traditional foster care or offer deeper support through therapeutic foster care, your role matters.
Take the First Step
To learn more about becoming a traditional or therapeutic foster parent with LSSI in Northern, Central, or Southern Illinois, please contact:
Cathy Newbury
Director of Foster Home Recruitment
Let It Be Us
cathynewbury@letitbeus.org
Cathy and the team at Let It Be Us will guide you through every step—from initial questions to licensing – so you feel informed, prepared, and supported.
The need is great. The support is real. And your home could be the turning point in a child’s life.
About Let It Be Us:
Let It Be Us is a nonprofit organization 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 child welfare system. Learn more at www.letitbeus.org.
Dr. Susan A. McConnell is the Founder and Executive Director of Let It Be Us, an Illinois licensed child welfare agency with the mission of providing collaborative, innovative solutions of effective recruitment and placement within Illinois foster care and adoption. Susan has an MBA from DePaul University and a Doctorate Degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California, where her work focused on permanency within child welfare. She is the Chair of the Permanency Committee of the Illinois Statewide Foster Care Advisory Council, appointed by the Director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in 2017. She is also an adoptive parent with over 30 years of open adoption experience. She can be reached at susanmcconnell@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.
