Who We Are

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois has been serving children for more than 140 years. LSSI has facilitated thousands of adoptions, including domestic infant, international and foster care adoptions.

History and Services

• Founded in October 1867, LSSI is a statewide, not-for-profit social service agency.
• LSSI serves people through an array of services at 83 sites across Illinois. LSSI’s services include foster care, adoption, pregnancy counseling, Head Start, child care services, services for at-risk families, residential services for youth, counseling, mental health, substance abuse treatment, residential programs for adults with developmental disabilities, housing and services for older adults and individuals with disabilities, nursing care and rehabilitation, and programs for prisoners and their families.
• Families served by LSSI do NOT have to be Lutheran. Families of any religious background are welcome.

Program Philosophy

• LSSI endorses openness in adoption. Openness in adoption is a continuum, and the degree of openness in each adoption is determined by the mutual consent of the involved persons.
• Openness in adoption may include exchange of identifying information and direct contact with one another after the adoption through letters, phone calls, e-mails or visits.
• Other birth and adoptive families may not exchange identifying information, but may still want ongoing contact. They may ask LSSI to act as an intermediary for their exchange of letters, photos, updates, cards or gifts.
• LSSI strongly encourages both families to honor their verbal agreements around ongoing contact, but in Illinois, these agreements cannot be legally enforced.

Locations

• LSSI has pregnancy counseling and adoption services located throughout the state.
• To learn more, please call our toll-free number (888/671-0300), fill out our inquiry form online or email us at pregnancyinfo@LSSI.org
• We can serve you no matter where you live, but if you would like to contact the office nearest you, please see below:
  
  

  Aurora 630/896-2714	Peoria 309/671-0300	Metro Chicago 312/949-4340
  Rockford 815/969-8836	Marion 618/997-9196	Rock Island 309/786-6400

• LSSI staff will travel to you, so even if you do not live in one of these communities or the surrounding areas, LSSI is happy to serve you.