The 160-year-old Lawrence Hall non-profit organization will start the rehab process on their Lakewood LGBTQ+ home in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood at the end of October. The mission for this affirming home is to improve outcomes for queer/trans youth ages 14-17 with the hope of reunification with their families or for them to find a forever-home through adoption.
Lawrence Hall will hold a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off the renovations with their participants, community and supporters.
The organization was founded to serve orphans after the Civil War and is one of oldest social service agencies in Chicago. The organization has seven core programs—Child and Family Treatment Center, Therapeutic Day School, Creative Therapies, Foster Care, Transitional and Independent Living, Workforce Development and Community Wellness.
“Lawrence Hall has been a leader in providing affirming care to our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex and agender or asexual young adults in care for many years,” said Lawrence Hall Director of Strategic Initiatives and LGBTQ Employee and Youth Advocate Renee Lehocky. “We have been involved with the Human Rights Campaign All Children All Families for the past six years and have achieved and maintained the Innovator Tier which is the highest tier of recognition. We are proud to achieve the Innovator Status and are among only four Illinois child welfare agencies who have achieved this tier.”
For the past two years, Lawrence Hall has operated Avers Home in an Albany Park two-flat focused on LGBTQ+ youth ages 17 ½ to 21, for up to five individuals. This is the first transitional living home contracted with Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) for LGBTQ+ youth in that age range in Illinois.
All five slots in Avers Home were quickly filled via DCFS referrals. Since its opening in April 2023 several youth have been able to successfully move to their own apartments, or transfer to college to live in dorms.
To ensure that Avers Home was a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth, Lawrence Hall interviewed young adults, held focus groups and talked with experts. To develop their model of living, they looked to what Children’s Defense Fund Founder, former President and activist Marian Wright Edelman said, “You can’t be what you can’t see.” This commitment included hiring at least 50% of their employees from the LGBTQ+ community so the youth at Avers could have positive role models from their own community to emulate.
“Avers housing option provides our young adults with a safe environment to receive validation and support while also providing daily living skills, goal setting and other required case management supports,” said Lehocky. “We believe this model helps to limit the presence of bullying and discrimination within child welfare placements so often inflicted on LGBTQ+ young adults.”
To build on Lawrence Hall’s Avers Home success, they decided to open Lakewood Home, which will be a community home placement for LGBTQ+ youth in Illinois ages 14-17 that is contracted with Illinois DCFS. It will be holistic, inclusive and grounded in eight core thematic areas that address housing, mental health, education and employment, policies and protections, foster care experiences, intersectionality, access to resources and best practices. The goal is to provide a safe and supportive space for LGBTQ+ youth who have distinct challenges due to systemic discrimination and a lack of affirming support.
The soon-to-be renovated Edgewater home will be a place where six LGBTQ+ young people who have completed treatment or DCFS determines need a community placement can move into when they would otherwise still be in residential treatment settings or shelters due to Illinois DCFS’ lack of viable placement options.
To place the six LGBTQ+ youth in Lakewood Home, DCFS will provide Lawrence Hall a list of names out of the up to 30% of queer/trans youth in DCFS care who are awaiting placements.
In addition to Lakewood Home’s partnership with Illinois DCFS, they will also collaborate with other LGBTQ+ providers in the community. Lakewood Home will also provide the young people in their charge with validation and support as well educate them on daily living skills and goal setting. Lehocky said, “We believe our model helps to limit the presence of bullying and discrimination within child welfare placements so often inflicted on LGBTQ+ youth.”
Outside of their work with the Avers and Lakewood Homes, Lawrence Hall’s foster care program is actively seeking affirming foster home placements for the LGBTQ+ youth population that they serve.
“Up to 30% of youth in care identify as LGBTQ+, a striking overrepresentation that reflects deeper systemic challenges,” said Lawrence Hall Vice President of Foster Care Carly Smith. “It is so important to provide not just safe but also affirming homes. Lawrence Hall actively recruits foster families who are prepared to support and celebrate LGBTQ+ youth. That’s why we intentionally recruit foster placements that are ready to offer the kind of care and understanding every child deserves.”
For all of their years of social service, Lawrence Hall was honored with a City of Chicago Proclamation on Sept. 25 at city hall.
“It is an honor for our organization to receive this proclamation from the City of Chicago in recognition of 160 years of service,” said Lawrence Hall CEO Kara Teeple. “Over the decades, we have remained a steadfast support for youth, families and communities across Chicago— adapting and evolving to meet their changing needs. Our recent work launching our LGBTQ+ transitional homes, Avers and Lakewood, reflects that ongoing commitment. We hope the groundwork we’re laying can serve as a model for other agencies striving to create more inclusive, affirming spaces for all young people.”