Bringing Families Home

Bringing Families Home

The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is happy to announce the Bringing Families Home (BFH) Program, which serves families involved with the child welfare system who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing homelessness to increase family reunification and to prevent foster care placement. 

Who is Eligible?

Individuals and families who, at the time that eligibility is determined, are: 

1. Receiving child welfare services; 

2. Homeless, at risk of homelessness, or in a living situation that cannot accommodate the child or multiple children in the home (whether they’ve received an eviction notice or not); 

3. Voluntarily agree to participate; and either:  a. Have been determined appropriate for reunification of a child to a parent or guardian or  b. A child or children in the family is/are at risk of foster care placement and safe and stable housing for the family will prevent the need for removal.

What Services are Available?

1. Housing-Related Case Management;

2. Housing Navigation;

3. Housing Stabilization; and

4. Housing-Related Direct Financial Assistance.

How Can I Apply for BHF?

Service components 1 – 3 are provided through our contracted community partner, ABODE.   The Child Welfare Worker can make referrals to ABODE for eligible individuals and families to receive Housing-Related Case Management, Housing Navigation, or Housing Stabilization services.

Service component 4, the housing related direct financial assistance, is provided through the DCFS’s Discretionary Funds process.  The Child Welfare Worker can make a Discretionary Funds referral for eligible individuals and families.   

Please see the flyer for more information.