How to Choose a Foster Care Agency in Illinois

  • Foster Parent Education
  • September 18, 2026
Searching for foster care agencies in Illinois usually returns a list. What the search does not tell you is that the list is the easy part, and that the real decision sits underneath it. Illinois has dozens of licensed agencies, and every legitimate one of them will get you to the same place: a license […]
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What Is TPR in Foster Care? The Legal Process, Explained

  • Foster Parent Education
  • September 13, 2026
Three letters show up in a case file, a court notice, or a caseworker’s update, and nobody stops to explain them. TPR stands for termination of parental rights, and it is the court process that permanently ends a parent’s legal relationship with their child. It is the legal step that has to happen before a […]
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What the Foster Care Numbers Actually Mean for Illinois Families

  • Foster Parent Education
  • September 11, 2026
Most people who search for foster care statistics are not writing a research paper. re trying to answer a much more personal question: is this system something I could step into, and what would I actually be walking into if I did? Numbers can only take you partway to that answer. They tell you the […]
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What Does DCFS Do in Illinois, and How Does Let It Be Us Work With It?

  • Foster Parent Education
  • September 9, 2026
DCFS is the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the state agency responsible for protecting children in cases of suspected abandonment, abuse or neglect. That is the whole of it, in one sentence. Most people who search for DCFS, though, are not looking for a definition. They are trying to work out which office […]
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The Foster Care Reunification Process: How Families Get Back Together

  • Foster Parent Education
  • September 7, 2026
The child’s goal is always to return home. A child enters foster care because a court determined they could not stay safely where they were, but that removal is meant to be temporary, and nearly everything that happens afterward is organized around getting the family back together safely. Foster parents are part of that work, […]
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The Real Cost of Adopting a Child in Illinois

  • Foster Parent Education
  • September 5, 2026
Adoption costs can range from nothing to tens of thousands of dollars, and the difference comes down almost entirely to which path you choose. Two families can both bring home a child in the same year and pay wildly different amounts, not because one loved harder or waited longer, but because one adopted through the […]
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WTVP PBS with Mark Welp

  • Press
  • September 2, 2026
During this live interview, Cathy Newbury, Director of Foster Home Recruitment at Let It Be Us, discussed Let It Be Us and foster home recruitment.   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, […]
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A Family for What Comes Next: Supporting Teens in Illinois Foster Care

  • Foster Parent Education
  • September 2, 2026
A Family for What Comes Next: Supporting Teens in Illinois Foster Care There is a common misconception about teenagers in foster care: They are almost grown, so they need less from a family. In reality, the years between adolescence and adulthood are filled with decisions, milestones and challenges that most young people navigate with the […]
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August 2026 Newsletter

  • Latest News
  • August 12, 2026
Recruitment and placement in adoption and foster care play significant roles in the prevention of human trafficking and in 2025 Let It Be Us will expand into Specialized Recruitment to serve this underserved population. 
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Back-to-School in Illinois: What Every Foster Parent Should Know Before the First Bell Rings

  • Foster Parent Education
  • August 12, 2026
Back-to-School in Illinois: What Every Foster Parent Should Know Before the First Bell Rings By Dr. Susan A. McConnell For most families, back-to-school season is filled with excitement. New backpacks. Fresh notebooks. New teachers. New opportunities. For children in foster care, however, the beginning of a new school year can also bring uncertainty, anxiety, and […]
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Back to School Means More Than New Backpacks: Why Children in Foster Care Need Stability All Year Long

  • Foster Parent Education
  • August 4, 2026
Back to School Means More Than New Backpacks: Why Children in Foster Care Need Stability All Year Long As summer comes to an end, families across Illinois begin preparing for another school year. They shop for backpacks, label notebooks, compare class schedules, and capture those treasured first-day-of-school photos. For most children, back-to-school season comes with […]
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What Happens to Foster Kids When They Turn 21?

  • Foster Parent Education
  • July 17, 2026
Turning 21 rarely changes much for most young people. They keep their bedroom, stay on a parent’s insurance, call home when the car breaks down, and lean on a support system that was built quietly over twenty-one years. For a young person in foster care, that same birthday can close a chapter of their life […]
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Why Marketing is One of the Most Important Tools in Child Welfare Today

  • Foster Parent Education
  • July 13, 2026
Why Marketing is One of the Most Important Tools in Child Welfare Today When people think about marketing, they often picture advertisements, products, or businesses competing for customers. Child welfare couldn’t be more different. In our field, marketing isn’t about selling anything. It’s about helping children find families. Every blog post, every social media campaign, […]
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What Disqualifies You From Being a Foster Parent in Illinois?

  • Foster Parent Education
  • July 7, 2026
A long-ago conviction. A stretch of financial hardship. A small apartment instead of a house. People talk themselves out of fostering over things that, under Illinois law, do not actually close the door. At Let It Be Us, we hear these worries often, and most of them turn out to be misreadings of how licensing […]
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What Does a Therapeutic Foster Parent Look Like

  • Foster Parent Education
  • June 25, 2026
What Does a Therapeutic Foster Parent Look Like? By Cathy Newbury, Director of Foster Home Recruitment with Let It Be Us As a foster parent for nearly 20 years, I’ve learned that some of the children who enter care aren’t looking for perfection. They’re looking for safety. They’re looking for someone who won’t give up […]
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How to Obtain the Necessary Training to Foster Children with Trauma

  • Foster Parent Education
  • June 11, 2026
Fostering children who have experienced trauma requires specialized knowledge that goes beyond standard parenting skills. In Illinois, licensed foster parents who would like to become specialized foster parents must complete additional trauma-informed training programs designed to help them understand and respond to the unique needs of children who have survived abuse, neglect, or other traumatic […]
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Post-Adoption Support in Illinois: What Families Need to Know

  • Foster Parent Education
  • June 4, 2026
The judge signs the order. You walk out of the courthouse with your child, legally and permanently yours. Relatives send congratulations. Friends call it the finish line. Three months later, you are sitting in your kitchen at 10 p.m. wondering how to help your child through the harder moments, why school conferences keep circling back […]
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May 2026 Newsletter

  • Latest News
  • May 12, 2026
Recruitment and placement in adoption and foster care play significant roles in the prevention of human trafficking and in 2025 Let It Be Us will expand into Specialized Recruitment to serve this underserved population. 
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How Much Do Foster Parents Get Paid in Illinois?

  • Foster Parent Education
  • April 28, 2026
If you are considering foster care, the financial side of the conversation matters. Asking how much foster parents get paid is one of the most common questions we hear at Let It Be Us, and it deserves a straightforward answer. You should not feel uncomfortable for asking. Understanding the financial picture helps you plan realistically […]
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Adoption Agencies in Illinois: Types, Requirements, and How to Get Started

  • Foster Parent Education
  • April 11, 2026
deliverable_id: dlv_bZzepaq0pGPl client: let_it_be_us generated: 2026-03-26 Thinking about adoption is one of the biggest decisions you can make. Whether you have been considering it for years or are just starting to explore the idea, you probably have questions about where to begin, what it costs, and what type of agency is the right fit for […]
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April 2026 Newsletter

  • Latest News
  • April 7, 2026
Recruitment and placement in adoption and foster care play significant roles in the prevention of human trafficking and in 2025 Let It Be Us will expand into Specialized Recruitment to serve this underserved population. 
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What Is a Guardian Ad Litem in Foster Care and Adoption?

  • Foster Parent Education
  • April 3, 2026
You get a letter in the mail or a call from your caseworker. A guardian ad litem has been appointed to your case. If you are a foster parent or prospective adoptive parent in Illinois, those words might bring up more questions than answers. Who is this person? What will they do? And what does […]
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National Child Abuse Prevention Month: Protecting Children Through Thoughtful, Responsible Advocacy

  • Foster Parent Education
  • April 1, 2026
National Child Abuse Prevention Month: Protecting Children Through Thoughtful, Responsible Advocacy April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time to recognize the importance of protecting children, strengthening families, and building systems that prioritize safety, dignity, and well-being (Child Welfare Information Gateway). Prevention doesn’t happen in a single moment. It happens through intentional decisions, responsible […]
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Transracial Adoption: What Families Should Know Before They Begin

  • Foster Parent Education
  • April 1, 2026
Choosing to foster or adopt a child of a different race is one of the most meaningful decisions a family can make. It is also one that calls for honest self-reflection, intentional preparation, and a willingness to grow in ways you may not yet expect. The love you bring matters deeply, and so does your […]
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Foster Care and Adoption: Key Differences Explained

  • Foster Parent Education
  • March 6, 2026
Foster care and adoption both create families for children who need them. But they work in fundamentally different ways, with different goals, different legal structures, and different timelines. Understanding these differences matters if you are considering either path. At Let It Be Us, we help Illinois families navigate both foster care and adoption through foster […]
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How to Support Youth Aging Out of Care

  • Foster Parent Education
  • March 4, 2026
Every year, hundreds of young people in Illinois reach adulthood while in foster care. For many, this transition means leaving behind the structured support of the child welfare system and stepping into independent living without the safety net that most young adults take for granted: family, stable housing, financial security. This moment is not just […]
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Understanding the Vital Role of Respite Foster Care

  • Foster Parent Education
  • March 2, 2026
Every foster parent reaches a point where the weight of daily caregiving starts to press harder than usual. Maybe the child in your care is working through a difficult behavioral phase. Maybe you have a medical appointment you have been putting off for months. Maybe you simply need a weekend to rest and come back […]
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How Long Is the Adoption Process from Foster Care?

  • Foster Parent Education
  • February 20, 2026
Most people want a simple answer, a specific number of months from start to finish, then you bring your child home. But adoption from foster care doesn’t work that way. The honest answer is that most families in Illinois spend 9 to 18 months or longer from their first inquiry to finalization day. That might […]
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How to Effectively Foster Children with Behavioral Issues

  • Foster Parent Education
  • February 18, 2026
Some children need more than a safe place to sleep. They need parents equipped with specialized skills, backed by a clinical team, and prepared to help them heal from experiences that have shaped how they see the world. Therapeutic foster care exists specifically for these children. It pairs specialized training with wraparound services, creating a […]
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Understanding Special Needs Placement: A Comprehensive Guide

  • Foster Parent Education
  • February 16, 2026
You’re considering fostering or adopting a child with special needs. Maybe you’ve heard stories from other foster parents, or you’ve been reading about children waiting for families in Illinois. The term “special needs” keeps coming up, but what does it actually mean in the context of foster care and adoption? Special needs placement isn’t about […]
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My Experience with Emergency Placement: Lessons Learned

  • Foster Parent Education
  • February 7, 2026
Your phone rings at 2:47 AM. A caseworker needs a safe place for a seven-year-old tonight. You have forty-five minutes to decide. This is emergency foster care. No gradual onboarding. No weeks of preparation. Just a child who needs stability, and you. At Let It Be Us, we connect already-licensed foster families with children in […]
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What Resources to Explore When Aging Out of Foster Care

  • Foster Parent Education
  • February 5, 2026
Every year, over 20,000 young people in the United States age out of foster care without a permanent family.[1] In Illinois, that number sits around 700 to 800 youth annually who turn 21 and must navigate adulthood on their own. But here’s what the statistics don’t capture: you don’t have to face this transition unprepared. […]
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Understanding Therapeutic Fostering: Essential Insights

  • Foster Parent Education
  • February 3, 2026
You’ve likely heard about foster care, but therapeutic fostering is something different. It’s designed for children facing significant emotional, behavioral, or developmental challenges that go beyond what traditional foster care can support. These kids have received appropriate therapy and are ready to be placed in a home environment. They need a structured therapeutic environment, skilled […]
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How to Prepare Your Home for Foster Care Placement: A Comprehensive Guide

  • Foster Parent Education
  • February 2, 2026
You've made the decision to become a foster parent. Maybe you've completed the training, or you're close to finishing licensing. Now you're facing the practical reality: a child may arrive at your home within hours or days, and you want to be ready. At Let It Be Us we work with agencies throughout the State […]
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Comprehensive Guide to Foster Care Requirements for Prospective Parents

  • Foster Parent Education
  • January 31, 2026
If you’re exploring foster care in Illinois, you’ve probably encountered contradictory information: some sources make it sound impossibly complicated, while others suggest anyone can do it. Neither extreme tells the complete story. Becoming a foster parent requires meeting specific legal and safety standards, but these requirements exist to protect children, not to exclude qualified families. […]
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