Today we are highlighting our wonderful partner, Good Beginnings, who has worked with us since 2019! This is a program within the Children’s Home Association of Illinois. Their collective mission is to help the kids and families in Illinois who need it most. They are committed to raising up our communities by transforming the lives of at-risk youth and their caregivers. Services include residential placement, clinical support, education, and prevention programming. Strong starts in life create strong families and communities, so the program aims to support parents who are pregnant and/or have young children.
What does Good Beginnings do?
Good Beginnings offers services in Peoria and Tazewell counties. As a home visiting program, they offer community-based doulas who can provide labor support, education, and postpartum care. Good Beginnings is also a Healthy Family America accredited program.
While we partner specifically with the Good Beginnings program, the Children’s Home Association of Illinois also offers other programs for families. The Coordinated Intake program, also known as iGrow, helps connect families to community programs that fit their current needs. Family Connects assists with postpartum screenings, educational information, mother and baby health checks, community referrals, bathing and swaddling, and more.
Success Stories
Good Beginnings sees their biggest successes in the small wins for families. They love seeing parents become more confident in their parenting techniques and skills, like understanding their child’s cues or learning how to swaddle or change a diaper. Seeing parents bond with their babies and form strong relationships is powerful.
These success stories show the importance of goal setting for families and Good Beginnings wanted to share a specific story about the impact of their work. One client they have worked with for almost a year has had the goal of getting a job and stable housing. With the support of Good Beginnings, she has been able to balance her life with three children, a job, and now her own place to live!
Get Involved!
For those interested in supporting the work of Good Beginnings, there are lots of ways to get involved! Individuals can volunteer, host donation drives, or send a monetary donation. More engagement means more life-saving services for the kids and families who need it most. Good Beginnings is also always looking for passionate, empathetic, and caring individuals to join their team.
To learn more about the services offered by Children’s Home Association of Illinois, visit their webpage (https://chail.org/programs/prevention/) or check them out on Facebook, Instagram, and Linkedin. They are also available by phone at 309-687-7600.