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In this issue: Black History Month, John Lewis Bill, Metropolis Partnership, TLP Renovation, Spring Save the Dates, and Jobs at Shelter

No Black history in America or history of children’s advocacy can be complete without the name of Marian Wright Edelman. Her impact on the welfare of all children has been profound.

Born in South Carolina in 1939, Marian soon achieved academic excellence. As a student at Spelman College in Georgia, she earned a scholarship to study abroad at such notable schools as the Sorbonne in Paris and the University of Geneva in Switzerland.

When she returned to Spelman for her senior year in 1959, it was a tumultuous time, and Marian joined the Civil Rights Movement, believing in equality and freedom for all. She was one of the courageous group of students arrested in 1960 for staging sit-ins at discriminating restaurants in Georgia.

At Yale School of Law, Edelman continued her studies and became the first Black woman admitted to the Bar in Mississippi in 1964, the same year she was instrumental in establishing the Head Start Program to promote school readiness. She began her law practice at the NAACP, focusing on racial justice.

In 1973, Edelman founded the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) in Washington D.C., a child’s advocacy and research center. From the beginning until the present day, the CDF has made significant contributions to children’s welfare. With Edelman at the helm, they lobbied for legislation including the Education for All Handicapped Children in 1975 and the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act in 1980.

Learn more about Black History Month and the history of Child Welfare.

There are more than 400,000 youths in foster care in the U.S. with not enough foster homes, and the pandemic has made the need for homes critical. There are seven times more LGBTQ+ parents ready to foster or adopt than non-LGBTQ+ parents, yet many are being turned away.

The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act will outlaw discrimination in adoption and foster care against LGBTQ+, religious minority, and single parents and children, and open up more loving homes urgently needed by the children in America’s foster care system. It will also dramatically improve foster care for the 1 in 3 youth in foster care who identify as LGBTQ+ and report worse outcomes than other youth.

YOU can make a difference for youths and families by letting your elected members of Congress know you want them to support this bill. Take five minutes of your time today to change lives!

Integrating the Arts into Our Program

A unique partnership with Arlington Heights' Metropolis Theater will bring the arts to Shelter's emergency group homes this spring. Staff from the Metropolis School of the Performing Arts will conduct monthly "Explore the Arts" workshops with our youth. The first three workshops will be: Theatre & Trust, Hip Hop & Pop Culture Dance, and a Percussion Experience. The focus of the workshops is to use theater activities to create a sense of community, build trust, and foster social-emotional learning. Performing arts education can help awaken kids' awareness of themselves, others, and the world, and cultivate a lifelong appreciation for the arts.

Now Hiring: Special Events Coordinator
Click here to learn more.

If you share our vision that all children grow up in safe and nurturing homes, please support us today. 

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