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| For Love of Children (FLOC) | |
|---|---|
| Name | For Love of Children |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Founder | Kathryn "Kit" Molloy |
| Location | Chicago, Illinois |
| Area served | United States |
| Focus | Child welfare, juvenile justice, family services |
For Love of Children (FLOC) is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization providing services to youth and families through residential care, counseling, foster care, and advocacy. Founded in the late 1960s, the organization has interacted with a range of municipal, state, and federal institutions while partnering with educational, legal, and healthcare providers. FLOC's operations have intersected with reforms in juvenile justice, child welfare policy, and social services systems across Illinois and the United States.
FLOC was established in 1968 amid national debates involving Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society initiatives, Civil Rights Movement-era social programs, and urban policy shifts in cities like Chicago and New York City. Early operations unfolded during the administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, linking FLOC to evolving federal funding mechanisms such as those overseen by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and later the Department of Health and Human Services. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, FLOC navigated reforms stimulated by court rulings including Brown v. Board of Education-inspired desegregation debates and juvenile cases that referenced precedents like In re Gault. The organization expanded services contemporaneously with policy initiatives under Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, and adjusted programs during the welfare reforms of the Clinton administration, engaging with agencies such as the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and municipal bodies including the Chicago Housing Authority.
FLOC's stated mission emphasizes care for vulnerable youth and support for families, operating residential treatment homes, foster care placement services, and therapeutic programs. Programmatic offerings have interfaced with institutions such as Cook County juvenile services, school systems including the Chicago Public Schools, and healthcare providers like Rush University Medical Center and University of Chicago Medical Center. Services have encompassed collaboration with legal actors including Cook County State's Attorney offices and public defenders modeled after the National Legal Aid & Defender Association, while coordinating with national organizations such as Child Welfare League of America and American Bar Association juvenile justice initiatives. FLOC has implemented vocational and educational linkages to entities like City Colleges of Chicago and partnered with philanthropic organizations modeled after the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Governance of FLOC has reflected nonprofit norms with a board of directors, executive leadership, and program managers reporting to funders and oversight bodies. Leadership transitions have occurred alongside partnerships with academic institutions such as University of Illinois Chicago and consulting relationships with firms in the mold of McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group for strategic planning. Interactions with accreditation and oversight organizations like the Council on Accreditation and licensing through the Illinois Department of Public Health have shaped administrative structures. Boards have included professionals from law firms akin to Sidley Austin, healthcare systems similar to Northwestern Medicine, and social policy experts affiliated with think tanks such as the Urban Institute and Brookings Institution.
FLOC has engaged in advocacy related to child welfare, juvenile justice reform, foster care policy, and mental health services, participating in coalitions with the Children's Defense Fund, American Civil Liberties Union, and state-level advocacy groups. Policy efforts have intersected with legislation like the Adoption and Safe Families Act, court-driven consent decrees in local jurisdictions, and state budget processes overseen by the Illinois General Assembly and governors including Rod Blagojevich and Bruce Rauner. FLOC has submitted testimony to bodies such as the United States Congress committees on child welfare and collaborated on initiatives influenced by reports from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on youth violence prevention.
Funding sources for FLOC have included governmental grants from agencies like the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, state contracts with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, as well as private philanthropy from foundations modeled after the MacArthur Foundation and corporate partners resembling Walgreens and Aon. The organization has pursued public–private partnerships with municipal entities including the City of Chicago and interagency collaborations involving Cook County Board programs. Grantmaking and audit relationships have involved entities similar to the United Way and funding intermediaries such as Corporation for National and Community Service-style programs.
Supporters cite FLOC's long-term provision of residential care and family services and its role in local partnerships with institutions like Chicago Public Schools and Cook County juvenile services as contributing to outcomes for vulnerable youth. Critics have raised concerns paralleling broader debates about residential care and foster systems addressed by advocates linked to Lambda Legal and commentators in outlets like The New York Times and Chicago Tribune', focusing on accountability, oversight, and the efficacy of institutional placements versus community-based alternatives championed by organizations such as Partners for Our Children and Casey Family Programs. Evaluations and audits by bodies akin to the Illinois Auditor General and program reviews influenced by the Urban Institute have informed reform efforts.
Category:Non-profit organizations based in Chicago