"I want you to know that I appreciate what Chicago House has done for me and my kids.Because without you all, I know I would not have been living. If you all had not opened up the door, I would have given up on life."
-"Melissa," a Family Support Program client
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 The Chicago House Family Support Program, which opened in 1992, was the first program in Chicago to offer housing and supportive services to families, especially homeless single mothers and their children, who are living with HIV and AIDS. Twelve families, including 30 dependent children, live in two Chicago House residences in Uptown and Edgewater.
For adults, the Family Support Program offers help with coordination of medical care; psychological assessment and counseling; substance abuse recovery programs, if necessary; help with everyday living skills; respite care; and access to community resources.
For children, The Bridges Program provides daily tutoring and mentoring with an adult role model. To complement the tutoring program, Chicago House converted a storage room into a computer lab so they may improve their academic and technology skills at home. Kids' Club is a formal psychosocial development program that includes developmentally appropriate activities that provide opportunities to learn socialization skills: sharing, taking turns, cooperating, conflict resolution, communication, problem solving and self-control.
For more information regarding the Family Support Program, please contact Erika Bergsrud at ebergsrud@chicagohouse.org.
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