Frequently Asked Questions 

What types of children do we care for?

Our residents come to us with a host of problems. Many have been abused, abandoned or neglected. Some of our children have run away from home. Most of our children have not received the support and nurturing they deserve—and have been forced to endure life on the streets. The common thread that connects our children to Mercy Home is their commitment to want to change. Mercy Home accepts children both from private families and from the Department of Children and Family Services.

Is Mercy Home a closed or open campus?

Mercy Home is an open campus, not a lock-down facility. Mercy Home is a voluntary program; a youth must make the decision to be at Mercy Home.  Our young people freely go to school, work, visit friends, take walks, go shopping, etc.  With the exception of getting to and from school, all other passes off the Mercy Home campus are awarded based on whether or not the resident is accomplishing his/her goals in program and following through on expectations at Mercy Home.

What is a youth's length of stay?

We ask for a year commitment from the young people who come to Mercy Home.  The average length of stay is between 10-12 months.  Since we are a privately funded institution, the young people who come to Mercy Home can stay as long as they continue to benefit from the programs we have to offer.

When is Mercy Home open?

Programs, meals, and residential care are offered every day, 365 days a year.

Does Mercy Home become legal guardians of each child?

Private families or DCFS maintain guardianship of the young people who live at attend Mercy Home. Mercy Home does not attain or assume guardianship for any reason. Our goal is to reunite youth with their families after a successful year at Mercy Home. However; in certain situations, this reunification is not possible or beneficial for the child. In these delicate circumstances, the resident may continue at Mercy Home.

Are youth required to attend school and work?

All Mercy Home residents must attend school.  At Mercy Home, we believe that a good education is an essential component to a healthy and productive future.  Upon admission to Mercy Home, staff  locates a school suitable for a child's ability to compete and succeed.  If the youth is 16 years of age or older, they are required to work a part-time job.  As with education placement, staff helps youth find and sustain employment while at Mercy Home. 

How are Mercy Home's children educated?

Our children attend parochial, public and alternative schools. We develop individual education plans for each of our children, stressing academic goals and addressing problems such as lack of motivation, missed credits, chronic truancy or learning disabilities.

To learn more about how Mercy Home has increased the educational support it provides its youth, click here for an online brochure about the Academy.

Will the Admissions Team need to see medical/hospital records?

In the event that a young person applying to Mercy Home has been hospitalized for mental health reasons in the past, we will need to see hospital records to make a good decision about the type of care the child needs.

What is your success rate?

The programs are considered a success when a child's personal challenges (anger, violent tendencies, attention deficit disorders, overcoming a previous abusive environment) are resolved and he or she is reasonably in control of their actions, and when the youth is capable of managing a daily routine with some autonomy within a supportive family structure or living independently as a young adult.

What is Aftercare?

Mercy Home's Aftercare program watches over the young people who have left our Home. We make sure that our youth can begin their independent lives with a sure footing, helping them find a job, an internship or their first apartment. Many of our young people attend college after leaving Mercy Home. We help them adjust to life at college—and even give them a place to stay on their breaks from school.  In order to replicate an ideal family, Mercy Home's Aftercare program makes it clear to former residents that if needed, help (therapy, counseling, job connections, budgeting, etc.) is provided and available to them. Once a youth is a member of the Mercy Home family, they should feel comfortable to come back in order to work things out in their lives. Aftercare is a way of protecting the serious investment made in a child once they've lived at Mercy Home.

Mercy Home has been a pioneer in aftercare research casework services since the early 1980s.

How much does Mercy Home cost?

Mercy Home for Boys & Girls is 501(c) (3), licensed child care institution and licensed child welfare agency.  We are 99% privately funded through the generosity of friends from across the country.  Because of this generosity, we are able to provide excellent care for children and families on a sliding fee scale so that all families can benefit from the programs at Mercy Home. Cost never prevents someone from receiving services at Mercy Home.