Illinois opens its first Asian American Family Advocacy Center
By Carl Samson
Illinois has inaugurated its first advocacy center dedicated to supporting Asian American families, a landmark development for the community.
Key points:
- The Asian American Family Advocacy Center is Illinois‘ first center dedicated to providing culturally sensitive and language-accessible support services to Asian American families.
- The center, part of a larger network across the state, aims to improve access to government services and support family reunification efforts.
The details:
- The Asian American Family Advocacy Center formally opened on March 18 at 218 W. 26th St. in Armour Square, near Chinatown. It is funded by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and operated by the Midwest Asian Health Association (MAHA).
- The center, which began enrolling clients last year, offers free case management services, parental support classes, health education and screenings, youth mentorship and external referrals, Book Club Chicago reported.
- Services are available in several languages including Arabic, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Mandarin, Taishanese and Spanish.
- The center primarily aims to help keep families out of the child welfare system. Additionally, it supports family reunifications and stabilizes foster placements, the Chicago Sun-Times noted.
- The initiative is part of a larger network of 38 family advocacy centers across Illinois, which all accept DCFS referrals.
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