30 Years of Impact
At SOS Children’s Villages Illinois, we are committed to providing safe, stable, loving homes.
We do this by keeping brothers and sisters together in an individual home in the care of
a full-time, professional Foster Parent. In doing so, we lay the foundation for rebuilding trust, confidence, and hope for each child in our care.
Who We Are
SOS Children’s Villages Illinois offers an innovative approach to traditional foster care. Our model of care gives children the opportunity to live in a nurturing, stable, single-family home with their brothers and sisters in the care of a full-time, professionally trained Foster Parent in one of our Villages. Children benefit from the stability of remaining with their siblings as well as the support of neighboring SOS Illinois Foster Parents and the entire community.
Our Villages
SOS Children’s Villages are designed to help children reach their full potential. Clusters of individual homes, with shared recreational facilities and administrative offices, create a true sense of community.
The unique strength of the Village lies in the collective power of loving Foster Parents, dedicated staff,
and the surrounding community who work together to help children gain confidence, trust, and a renewed sense of hope. Our aim is to provide SOS Illinois youth with the tools and resources they need to grow
into caring, responsible, self-reliant adults.
Click here to see a gallery of photos of our Villages and sites.
Lockport Village
17545 Village Lane
Lockport, IL 60441
P: 815-740-7280
F: 815-740-7282
Lockport Village
Opened in 1993, the Lockport Village is situated on 20 acres near Joliet, IL. The Village is comprised of 18 single-family homes, an administration building, a community and learning center, and a playground.
Chicago Village
7600 S. Parnell
Chicago, IL 60620
P: 773-783-0500
F: 773-783-0600
Chicago Village
Opened in 2004, the Chicago Village is located on 7.5 acres in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood of Chicago and made history by opening as the very first urban Village in the entire world.
Casa Tepeyac
4538 S. Hermitage
Chicago, IL 60609
P: 773-247-7725
F: 773-247-7794
Casa Tepeyac
Opened in 1997 and built on the mission of Father Flanagan’s interest in young people and their struggle to grow into responsible, productive members of society, Casa Tepeyac was acquired by SOS Illinois in 2011.
Roosevelt Square Village
1133 W. 13th St.
Chicago, IL 60608
P: 312-243-1901
F: 312-243-3086
Roosevelt Square Village
Opened in October 2014, the newest Village in Illinois offers the state and City another unique community of 14 individual homes with the capacity to support up to 84 children in foster care ages birth to 21 years old.
Administrative Office
216 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite #925
Chicago, IL 60606
P: 312-372-8200
F: 312-372-8202
Administrative Office
The Administrative Office is located in the southwest Loop of downtown Chicago and serves as the centralized hub for operations in the Finance, Human Resources, Advancement, and Communications Departments.
Our Programs
Sibling Foster Care
Our Sibling Foster Care program gives children in foster care the opportunity to grow up with their siblings as a family, and with a
supportive Foster Parent who lives
in the home with them.
Fostering Families
Our Fostering Families program focuses on helping biological parents overcome the issues that brought their children into care.
In-Home Family Services
In-Home Family Services help families build on their strengths, tackle tough problems, and stabilize to help youth deal with issues related to gang involvement and other areas of risk.
SOS Illinois University
SOS Illinois University is the comprehensive educational and training program for SOS Illinois Foster Parents and serves as an ongoing resource to staff, Foster Parents, biological parents, and community.
Our People
“SOS Illinois has laid the foundation with it’s unique model of foster care. As we continue to build upon this legacy, strengthening families and building community resources to reduce family disruption is the evolution to the organization’s future.”
– DELPHINE F. RANKIN, Ed.D.
Chief Executive Officer
SOS Children’s Villages Illinois employs over 100 Foster Parents and staff members across more than seven departments and five locations. From Operations and Quality & Training, to Communications and Development, to Finance and Human Resources, SOS Illinois is able to support the diverse needs of our communities with dedicated and talented staff.
To learn more about our Leadership Staff at SOS Children’s Villages Illinois, we invite you to enjoy the following video by clicking on the link below:
Download our Leadership Staff list
To learn more about our Board of Directors at SOS Children’s Villages Illinois, we invite you to enjoy the following video by clicking on the link below:
Our History
For 30 years SOS Children’s Villages Illinois has provided the highest quality of care for Illinois’ children and families. It is the first self-funded SOS organization in the United States, and has operated as its own 501 (c)(3) since 1993.
Since our beginning, we have carried on the successful track record of SOS Children’s Villages International here in Illinois.
We continue to strive to provide children the highest level of support and resources needed to develop into caring, productive, self-reliant adults.
1945
SOS Children’s Villages International, the parent organization of SOS Children’s Villages Illinois, began in Europe in 1945, providing aid to children orphaned or abandoned during World War II.
1949
SOS Children’s Villages is founded in Austria by Hermann Gmeiner, with the first SOS Children’s Village based in Imst, Austria.
1985
At the request of Hans A. Schieser, PhD, Professor Emeritus, DePaul University Chicago, Hermann Gmeiner, founder of SOS Children’s Villages International, and Helmut Kutin, second president of SOS Children’s Villages International, host a seminar at DePaul University to discuss the establishment of the first SOS Children’s Village in the United States, ideally established in the Chicagoland area.
1990
SOS Children’s Villages Illinois is Incorporated as an Organization.
1992
June 6, 1992: The Ground Breaking Ceremony is held at the Lockport Village.
1993
SOS Ilinois became the first self-funded SOS organization in the United States, and has operated as its own 501 (c)(3) since 1993.
The Lockport Village opens, offering 10 single-family homes including a Director’s Home and a facility for training Foster Parents.
1994
The first siblings find a home at the Lockport Village as part of the Sibling Foster Care Program, which gives children in foster care the opportunity to grow up with their siblings as a family.
October 1994: The Lockport Village Dedication Ceremony takes place commemorating the first Village built in the State of Illinois.
2002
SOS Children’s Villages Illinois forms an exploratory committee to find potential sites for the second Village, to be located in Chicago.
The Lockport Village expands with eight additional homes. The Director’s Home and residence for training future Foster Parents are converted to homes for the Sibling Foster Care Program, bringing the Village total to 18 homes.
2004
Through a partnership with the City of Chicago, SOS Children’s Villages Illinois opens the Chicago Village at 76th and Parnell in the Auburn-Gresham neighborhood with 16 homes for the Sibling Foster Care Program. Mayor Richard M. Daley joins SOS Children’s Villages Illinois for the opening ceremony.
2006
Chicago Village launches its innovative Fostering Families Program in four homes. Fostering Families provides biological parents with the support needed to overcome substance abuse. Biological parents live in an in-law apartment, while Foster Parents care for their children and serve as parent coaches, teaching biological parents the skills and strategies needed for effective parenting.
2007
The Lavezzorio Community Center opens at the Chicago Village. The Lavezzorio Community Center serves as the gateway to the Chicago Village and is home to educational, recreational, therapeutic, and childcare services offered by SOS Children’s Villages Illinois and its community partners.
The YMCA opens the day care center at the Lavezzorio Community Center. The Auburn-Gresham neighborhood now has access to much needed child care services.
2009
SOS Children’s Villages Illinois is awarded the Richard H. Driehaus Award for both Architectural Excellence in Community Design and Outstanding Non-profit Neighborhood Real Estate Project for the Lavezzorio Community Center.
August 25, 2009: Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signs a series of bills that enhance and improve child welfare services in Illinois. Together, these bills enable the Department of Children and Family Services to better support families in need, strengthen relationships between parents and children, and build better futures for youth transitioning from state care to adult independence.
2011
SOS Children’s Villages Illinois acquires Casa Tepeyac in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. SOS Children’s Villages Illinois assumes the programs previously run by Boys Town Chicago, continuing to offer comprehensive child and family services to at-risk youth in the Chicago area.
2012
April 2012: SOS Children’s Villages Illinois purchases an additional home at the Chicago Village, bringing the total to 17 homes.
December 2012: SOS Children’s Villages Illinois secures funds from the City of Chicago, obtains land from the Chicago Housing Authority, and approves the development of a Village in the Roosevelt Square neighborhood of Chicago, IL.
2014
June 2014: SOS Children’s Villages Illinois breaks ground on the fourth Village in the Roosevelt Square neighborhood.
October 28, 2014: SOS Children’s Villages Illinois opens the Roosevelt Square Village, a 14-home Village designed to provide homes and critical support services to 84 children through the Sibling Foster Care Program.
2015
SOS Children’s Villages Illinois celebrates our 25th Anniversary and honors the legacy our of founders, donors, supporters, Foster Parents, staff, and youth who have enriched our community for over two decades.
2018
May 31, 2018: SOS Children’s Villages Illinois brings back Dining & Conversation, our spring gala, with Luminaries including Christian Bale and Gloria Steinem. This event served as a culmination of Foster Care Awareness Month.
October 2018: SOS Children’s Villages Illinois holds a Community Announcement event to share the latest details on the upcoming Roosevelt Square Community Center to break ground in the spring.
2019
May 1, 2019: Christian Bale launches the #Voices4FosterCare Campaign in correlation with Dining & Conversation. Bale is joined at the event by Adam McKay, Gillian Flynn, David Eigenberg, and other notable names in entertainment, business, and civics.
June 11, 2019: SOS Children’s Villages Illinois breaks ground on the Roosevelt Square Community Center in the company of key funders, supporters, and friends, such as Maestro Cares, Wintrust, and Goya.
Today
SOS Children’s Villages Illinois welcomes Delphine F. Rankin, Ed. D, as new Chief Executive Officer.
Awards, Accreditations & Honors
Council on Accreditation (C.O.A.) Certified
GuideStar Platinum-level nonprofit
Charity Navigator’s 3-star rating
Richard H. Driehaus Award for Architectural Excellence in Community Design (2009) and Richard H. Driehaus Award for Outstanding Non-Profit Neighborhood Real Estate Project (2009) for the Lavezzorio Community Center at the Chicago Village
In 2009, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed three groundbreaking pieces of legislation at the Chicago Village; this legislation protects foster children and extends services to children after exiting the foster care system
In 2012, SOS Illinois was recognized by Chicago Magazine as one of 15 charities in the City of Chicago to be awarded “The Gold Standard”
In 2015, named one of 20 top charities in Chicago by Chicago Magazine
