Family Focus, Inc.

Family Focus provides my family reliable, safe, fun before and after school care. My son loves attending and playing games with other kids and the staff. He actually does get mad at me if I come early! The staff is kind and generous and help to establish routines that support my son's academic needs. I am so grateful that this exists for my family.

Family Focus in an amazing organization that is committed to bettering the lives of families in the Chicagoland area. What makes them unique is that they focus on the entire family unit, making sure there is support available for each and every member of the family -- children, moms, dads, grandparents. I continue to be amazed when I listen to the testimonials of individuals young and old that have been impacted by the power of the Family Focus family. This organization is truly making a positive and meaningful impact in the Chicagoland community.

Family Focus is committed to strengthening families in the Chicagoland area. They understand the needs of the families they work with which translates to successful outcomes. I started as a volunteer and was so impressed with the staff and their work that I became a board member.

Family Focus consistently reviews the needs of their clients and tweaks their programming needs to meet the needs of the community they serve. The staff always has a can do attitude and will find the resources when possible for their clients. It's always a pleasure to collaborate or provide programs with this organization. Nora Barquin goes out of her way to work with many organizations to bring resources to her clients as well as helping organizations that have programs reach the clients.

I have watched many youth flourish as a result of the programs that are brought to the community. Family members are able to live productive lives because barriers are removed because of this caring organization.

I volunteer for Family Focus and serve on the Associate Board. I have seen firsthand the joy, hope and positive reinforcement Family Focus brings to children all across Chicago. Family Focus changes people's lives for the better and gives them opportunities they may not have otherwise. This nonprofit is a blessing in our community.

Family Focus is a life-changing organization for both those it serves and the volunteers. Family Focus works to ensure that parents are the best parents that they can be and in turn makes the children the best that they can be. I cannot express enough how integral Family Focus is in the lives of everyone involved.

Family Focus changes lives, one family at a time. The centers are a part of the communities they serve, and all you have to do is walk into one of them to understand what a difference they make. Every day, with every child.

I volunteer on the associate board for Family Focus. I have had the opportunity to work with the kids and observe parts of the youth development programming. The staff is extremely dedicated to making sure that parents in the community have a safe and caring place for their kids. In addition, all of the participants I have talked to enjoy the seminars/group sessions that Family Focus centers have for emotional support and development. It has truly been a pleasure to volunteer with Family Focus.

My son receives services from Family Focus and they are awesome! He has the best time with the staff and his friends after school. They always have the best activities planned for the kids and also help them with homework. I couldn't be happier!!!

Family Focus aids families living in Chicago’s low-income neighborhoods to give their children a better running start in life. While Family Focus concentrates primarily on the needs of young children (0 -5 years), it delivers assistance services to children of all ages. As a long-term board member, I have visited all their centers multiple times and have personally observed how the how the highly professional and dedicated staff address the unique and diverse needs of inexperienced parents (frequently teens), single fathers, grandparents raising grandchildren, families exposed to violence, and non-English speaking immigrant families. The work performed by Family Focus makes a very meaningful difference in the life of many families living in Chicago’s low-income neighborhoods.

Family Focus is exceptionally helpful in taking care of our 2nd grader during after school hours, and on full days when school is closed. The staff takes exceptional care of our child, helps get homework done, feeds healthy snacks and supplies plenty of fun time for all of the children.

I would definitely recommend Family Focus to anyone needing great childcare!

Family Focus Aurora serves families in the community with many different programs offered to the Aurora area. Are variety of programs assist families who are interested in youth programs, Healthy Families program, Parents As Teachers program, Family Advocacy Program, Immigration services, Illinois Welcoming Center and many more programs that reach out to our community. Families in the Aurora community feel positive to reach out to us and assist low-income/high risk families.

As a fellow non-profit organization collaborator, I've worked with Family Focus Lawndale in helping to promote heart healthy lifestyles and providing resources to the community. Individual empowerment is evident in what they do for residents every day. Their employees are dedicated and do function truly as family, not as "employees" in the usual sense. I find it rewarding to work with them and observe some of the programs they offer. Great organization and a great asset to the community - keep it strong!

The mission of Family Focus is to help families in low income communities provide their children with the best foundation for success...and that is exactly what they do. Through the very dedicated staff of professionals at the 7 centers, Family Focus is able to provide a wide range of services to children and their families including early childhood, youth development and family support services. Having seen firsthand the impact Family Focus can have an the people it serves I am proud to be affiliated with this organization.

Family Focus serves Chicago area families with thoughtfully designed programs for a wide variety of people with diverse needs. Most important is the spirit of the organization, combining the highest levels of professionalism with warmth and respect for every participant.

Family Focus is a truly wonderful Organization that helps people with their family and early childhood needs in eight different challenging communities in the Chicago area. I have visited several of them and know how vital and effective their work is. The Directors of the centers are remarkable and really know the communities. In many cases they are from the communities and always highly competent so that the needs and responses are authentic. The entire organization is based on best practices in child development and family development but the programs are suited to what is actually going on. My husband and I are very supportive because we have great faith in the staff and the work they do. Susie Kiphart

Family Focus is non-profit organization dedicated to help children and families live better lives in lower income communities. They have outstanding resources and programs that educate and help parents and children to live a more happy and healthy life. They have centers in seven Chicago-land areas, each designed to serve each community that is in need help by being directly involved in the community. They have numerous programs from learning how to cook, budget your money, and various after school programs that enrich lives of children and families, so they can develop and thrive in their communities. Thanks to Family Focus and their dedicated support Chicago families are learning to be safe, healthy, and happy. In return, making Chicago a better place to live.

I am a donor to Family Focus because I am impressed by the mission and work of the organization. Having met a number of Family Focus' program managers and center directors, I find them dedicated, intelligent, and welcoming. I believe helping people living in low-income communities is important to all of us and that Family Focus does this work well.

Family Focus is an excellent nonprofit that places an emphasis on family support to help give children the best possible start in life. Each of their centers throughout the Chicagoland area uses a variety of programs, such as parenting classes, toy drives, and after school activities for children, geared to that community's specific needs to help build up that community by giving its children the chance for success. In my time that I have been a volunteer at Family Focus, I have seen the positive work they do for our community and have witnessed their values and strong desire to help in every aspect of their work. Everyone at Family Focus genuinely cares about its mission to strengthen families and I am truly grateful to have the chance to work with them and make my contribution.

Family Focus is a wonderful nonprofit that focuses on helping to build stronger communities around the Chicago area. Each center works to fulfill the specific needs of it's surrounding community and effectively uses resources to help through parenting classes, workshops, opportunities for children in the summer/after school and works to provide resources & opportunities for people to succeed. It's important to have local nonprofits like Family Focus that are able to address the specific needs of the communities they work in and provide the proper outreach and support. Working with Family Focus for several months, it quickly became clear to me the care that the staff puts in to their work. Everyone works hard to make the most out of Family Focus to provide the most help and focuses on maintaining a connection to the people and communities being served.

Family Focus is a community outlet in which service and advocacy is the center of all that they do. The programs offered, from parenting classes and children's growth workshops to things as simple as food and toy drives offer aid to any individual that asks. Each one of the centers offers something different based on the community it serves in order to fully service each and every person uniquely. The work being done is crucial to Chicagoland communities and families; our city would not be such an amazing place without such outreach groups. It is always a sincere pleasure to work with Family Focus in their various endeavors and I know I will always have a connection to the work they do.

I am a participant at family focus lawndale in the PI program where there is a lot to offer. My experience at family focus has made me a better person and the staff is like mothers and fathers that some have never had, like me. I was taught the value and meaning of life with my parent educator. They even have workshops to help you be better parents, friends and role models or just to blow off some steam. We also do field trips with our children that most parents can't afford. This is like going to grandma's house where there is the greatest dishes, warm embraces, smiling faces, uplifting chatter, positive interacting, feeding the needy, and not judging the greedy. If we had more people to support family focus then we will have higher goals for our community.

I am a participant at family focus and my experiance with family focus has been a great one since I came to the PI program. When I first came to the program I had no hope. This program gives me a lot of motivation and encorugement, even though I am going through kind of difficult time I know if I need help with something the wonderful people at family focus will do their best to help me with anything they can. Also my kids enjoy being apart of family focus, they can be themselves and enjoy being a kid. So thanks family focus for being apart of me and my kids life. I am very glad to be apart of this program.

This organization practices unethical standards. Many of their reports to funders are false such as to DHS, CPS, and ISBE PI programs. Money in the form of gift cards were kept by the center directer for many many years. Documents were falsified stating that the 100.00, 50.00, and 200.00 gift cards were give to participants and they were not. So called signed verification sheets stating that participants received gift cards were marked in by staff that this money was received by them. A binder was created and given to Inc accountant Tarita Anderson was created and have in it that participants received gift cards and they did not. A very very small percentage maybe. I know because I created the binder under the direction of Lawndale's center director. Those cards were kept by the center director. I was there. This went on for over three years. Food purchased from Sams Club was food given to employee, center. director's mother, aunts and other family members.