Caritas Family Solutions receives statewide award for innovative work with foster parents

By Managing Editor | October 3, 2025 |

The nonprofit recognized with 2025 Award for Treating Foster Parents with Dignity and Respect

Caritas Family Solutions recently announced that the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) had selected Caritas to receive the 2025 Award for Treating Foster Parents with Dignity and Respect. Caritas was recognized for its work surrounding the nonprofit’s 2025 Foster Parent Law Implementation Plan.

Presented annually by the DCFS Statewide Foster Care Advisory Council (SWFCAC), the award recognizes agencies that “go above and beyond to provide support and respectful guidance for foster parents.” Caritas’ plan was selected for its strong, innovative approach to supporting foster families.

“I could not be prouder of our staff for recognizing and taking the effort to truly embrace foster parents as our partners in caring for children in foster care,” said Mary Savage, director of Licensing at Caritas Family Solutions. “Our foster parents do the heavy-lifting in that they provide 24-hour supervision, care, and nurturing to our children. As an agency, we strive to ensure that their input, unique insights, and recommendations are always equally considered in determining the best interests of children. Without our dedicated foster parents, we have no program.”

More than 50 agencies across Illinois are required to submit the Foster Parent Law Implementation Plan, a guide for foster parents and agencies that details the rights and responsibilities of both parties and outlines the standards and procedures for foster care delivery. This award highlights Caritas’s continued efforts to uphold the rights of foster parents and to build a culture of collaboration, communication, and mutual respect within the child welfare system.

“Foster parents play a crucial role in providing safety, stability, and love during some of the most challenging times in a child’s life,” said Mark Becker, executive director of Child Welfare at Caritas Family Solutions. “Their impact can last a lifetime for the children they care for. Their input is essential in shaping policies that truly support and empower foster families, which is why their feedback is a key part of this process.”

Founded in 1947, Caritas Family Solutions is a nonprofit social service agency whose mission is to strengthen the social and emotional well-being of individuals and families in order to create healthy relationships, loving homes, and strong communities. Services include adoption, community family stabilization programs, foster care, counseling, residential treatment for children healing from abuse and/or neglect, independent living for adults with developmental disabilities (CILA), and assisted living. Caritas serves more than 5,200 individuals annually across southern Illinois from offices located in Belleville, Carterville, Mount Vernon, Olney, Glen Carbon, Alton, and Effingham as well as satellite locations in Highland and Sparta. For additional information, visit www.caritasfamilysolutions.org.

Photo courtesy Caritas Family Solutions.