By Nike Whitcomb
What does it mean to be a foster child? Basically it means your family can no longer care for you. That can be because of illness substance abuse issues, mental health issues, or the legal system.
In the New Testament, the book of Matthew, Chapter Seven, Verse One says, “Judge not lest you be judged.” That teaching is central to the mission of One Hope United.
Since its founding in 1895, One Hope United has served hundreds of thousands of children and families across Illinois and beyond. With a deep commitment to equity, opportunity, and trauma-informed care, OHU provides a full spectrum of services – from early childhood education to behavioral health to residential care. In 2024 alone, OHU reached more than 10,000 individuals through its network of programs.
It began because, even in 1895 , there was a need for foster homes to take care of children whose families could no longer care for them. It began as an orphanage in Downers Grove, IL, taking care of children whose parents were no longer alive.. Throughout the ensuing years, the need for safe placement of children and teenagers – no matter the reason – has remained constant, and One Hope has continued to grow to fill that need – both in Illinois and in Florida, because Florida was one of the first states to establish foster care placement for children. It is there that One Hope United began its more than century of growth and the provision of successful help for children, especially teenagers.
Today Illinois -through One Hope United – has established and maintains one of the largest support systems for children throughout the entire United States.
We are fortunate to live in a state that addresses the critical need for housing of these young people – especially those in their teenage years. Illinois’ program is modeled after a similar program in Florida aimed at teenagers ages 13 to 17. These young people live in Hope Houses, which are staffed by specially trained ‘house parents.’ The goal is to help each of these young people navigate through the difficult teenage years, graduate from high school, learn job skills, and prepare for a future of independence.
Their birth parents may be struggling with addiction, or be part of the penal system. Yet someone still needs to make sure these kids grow up safely and have hope for a meaningful future.
Hope Houses are ‘average’ homes in ‘average’ neighborhoods. The point is for them to be as ‘normal’ as possible to eliminate as much stigma as possible from the lives of the young people being served. The homes are not clustered: these are normal houses in normal neighborhoods, so they look like and feel like normal situations.
And the need is increasing – there is a national trend of increased behavior and mental health challenges among kids, as well as substance abuse issues – especially among parents.
Damon Cates, One Hope’s Executive Director says, “We need to get kids out of harm’s way.”
“The number of kids in family care is going down because the emphasis is not to let them linger in the ‘system.’ There is a critical need for Hope House parents and volunteers who can wrap around them and give them the support they need.”
As the needs of communities have evolved, so has OHU’s approach. The organization has shifted to meet changing demographics and realities, particularly for teens in the child welfare and/or juvenile justice systems who need stable, healing environments. Many of these youth are considered “hard to place” due to complex trauma, disrupted placements, or behavioral health needs. These kids’ transformation is centered around Hope Houses: family-style homes offering safety, consistency, and therapeutic support to teens ages 13–17. With a 5:4 youth-to-staff ratio and trauma-informed foster parents, Hope Houses represent OHU’s leading residential model for now and for the future.
The need is less about mentorship of these kids and more about the need for people to adopt the homes. It costs $680 per day per youth to support these young people who are in transition. The daily costs include a stipend for clothes and house supplies: $10,000 a year to operate each home, and the need is not showing signs of stopping,
“The money doesn’t stretch far enough.” says Cates. “The social workers are often paying for things for the kids from their own funds. And, if we need a home in a neighborhood where we don’t have one, we rent one.
“We serve kids all over the state: There are two homes in Rockford, two i Champaign, and one in Collinsville. We partner with Goodwill and other agencies to furnish the homes and make the money stretch as far as possible.’
“There is a need to develop relationships in other cities and towns throughout Illinois as we look to expand our programming across the state,” says Cates. “We are fortunate to have support from local and area foundations, but there is big demand for their funding from other worthy causes.”
The model One Hope uses is one that relies on trained house parents, each of whom works four days on then four days off, and who xare also supported by other trained staff. A licensed therapist comes in daily and youth care workers serve as role models/buddies for each of these young people.
In addition to focusing on mental health counseling and general support, the house parents are actively engaged in recruiting foster parents to give these young people a permanent home.
Part of the task is to help these young people learn to manage their emotions and deal with problems that existed in their birth families, including drug and other substance abuse, as well as incarceration.
If a young person ”acts out” and damages the house in some way, they aren’t “kicked out, ” but instead participate in making repairs to whatever they’ve damaged.
One Hope’s teen clients eat together every evening so they can learn better socialization skills and learn to talk through problems and issues. Betrayal is one of the worst of their fears, made all the more hurtful if one or both parents have left them or been incarcerated and made them feel that they don’t matter.
Kids can come to one of these Hope Houses at age 13 and stay until they are 18 years of age. Most are helped enough to be able to live on their own by the time they reach that age.
Each Hope House offers a consistent home base—the youth stay in one place while foster parents rotate into their home to provide care and support. This stability allows young people to heal, form meaningful relationships, and pursue personal growth. Through individualized care, enrichment opportunities, and connection to community, Hope Houses are not just places to live; they’re launching pads for independent, fulfilling lives.
There is no other service in Illinois like One Hope Chicago. And because of the significant Hispanic population here bilingual services are also offered.
But this is not just Illinois’s problem, it is a nationwide issue. In fact, there are between 350,000 and 400,000 kids in foster care in the United States right this minute.
In addition to these foster care homes, One Hope United provides six early learning centers – including Head Start and similar programs – to make sure of access to education for everyone.
We are very lucky that the governing entities in Illinois understand the need and believe in supporting us. Kids in other states don’t fare quite as well.
If you’d like to help One Hope United – whether that means learning to be a foster parent, providing resources like clothing and food, or training that might lead to a career, your help is welcome.
To learn more about how you can help, please go to: onehopeunited.org
