City Council Meeting April 2, 2014
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Adoption Center of Illinois at Family Resource Center, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, governed by a dedicated volunteer board of directors, and licensed as a child welfare agency by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, has been providing responsibly professional adoption services to residents of Chicago and throughout Illinois for 25 years; and
WHEREAS, The official headquarters of Adoption Center of Illinois at Family Resource Center has always been in the City of Chicago and is the only Illinois licensed child welfare agency focusing primarily on providing adoption services in the City of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, The Adoption Center of Illinois at Family Resource Center has always promoted best practices in the field of adoption and has been at the forefront of promoting a forward thinking approach to adoption that respects all individuals - birth parents, adoptive parents, and adopted persons - whose lives are touched by adoption; and
WHEREAS, The Adoption Center of Illinois at Family Resource Center's mission is to help children through adoption and some of its core values include the belief that the people they serve always have the right to self-determination and are best able to manage their own lives, that the needs and rights of children always come first in matters pertaining to adoption and that every child deserves to live in a permanent loving family, and the belief that the agency should function with the highest degree of integrity and transparency to help achieve these goals for all concerned; and
WHEREAS, The Adoption Center of Illinois at Family Resource Center believes that birth parents and adoptive parents are entitled to be made aware of all of their options and toward that end, the agency provides adoption counseling services to those considering placing children for adoption, home study and adoption services to couples and individuals who hope to adopt, infant and child placement services, and consultation and guidance to individuals who were adopted as children; and
WHEREAS, Through the years the agency has directly placed more than 1000 children for adoption, including many with complex medical issues, taking pride in never having turned away a child in need and finding loving homes for children with a myriad of complex special needs; and
WHEREAS, In addition, The Adoption Center of Illinois at Family Resource Center has participated in another 1600 adoptions by providing professional guidance and home study services and have spoken with and provided guidance to more than 5400 couples or individuals who were interested in adoption since 1988; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this 2nd day of April, 2014, do hereby commend the agency for its good work, recognizing Adoption Center of Illinois at Family Resource Center as Chicago's adoption agency, and congratulate them on celebrating 25 years of bringing kids home at their gala event that will take place on April 26, 2014, at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare; and
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Adoption Center of Illinois at Family Resource Center.
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