Vision:
Every child deserves a good home.
Mission:
Creating stable families through adoption. Supporting women through the challenges of pregnancy and parenting. Building communities through counseling and education..
A Letter from Our Director
Dear Friends,
Thank you for coming to our website to explore the services that we offer. Whether you are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and need to explore your options, are experiencing postpartum depression or have anxiety in pregnancy, grief/loss issues from a pregnancy, an adjustment to parenthood, or want to expand your family with adoption services, you have come to the right place! We also provide home study services for families working with nationwide agencies.
We are first and foremost a child welfare agency and take our responsibility very seriously. Our counselors are some of the very best in our area and are committed to our clients. The entire staff thinks “out of the box” to provide you with professional services. We are with you every step of the way, will care for you, and nurture you in whatever journey you choose. We walk alongside you!
Please call, text, or email us for more information.
Sincerely,
Joanne Bratta
Executive Director
Our Vision & Mission
A Brief History
In 1887, the St. Mary’s Home for Children was established. Working towards providing a protected place for children to live and thrive has been at the center of what all of us do. Various programs have been instituted were started to accomplish this goal. St. Mary’s has provided many services for newborn infants, foster children, birth parents, and adoptive families of all races and religions.
By the mid-1940s orphanages gave way to foster home care and offices were opened on Kenmore Avenue in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. Gradually, foster care was phased out, and what was to become St. Mary’s Services evolved, focusing primarily on services for birth parents in need and families looking to adopt.
St. Mary’s has expanded to provide free counseling services to women in need, including postpartum depression/anxiety counseling, perinatal depression/anxiety counseling, grief & loss counseling, and adjustment to motherhood counseling.
Five Primary Focus Areas
- Maternity counseling and casework for women experiencing unplanned pregnancies and considering adoption
- Counseling and facilitation for couples pursuing adoption
- Education and community awareness of adoption as a positive, loving option
- A comprehensive teen parenting program in high schools and community centers
- Counseling for women with postpartum depression, grief and loss (miscarriage, stillborn, post-adoption, post-abortion), and difficulty transitioning into motherhood
Board of Trustees
- Jill Harris – President
- Bob Dickey – Vice President
- Lauar Aird – Treasurer
- Rev. Gary Cox – Secretary
- Rich Casey – Trustee
- Nancy Cowden – Trustee
- Brett Locascio – Trustee
- Mike Mulligan – Trustee
- Matthew Saleski – Trustee
- Barbara Slotten – Trustee
