1989-1999

Uhlich changes it’s name from Uhlich Evangelican Lutheran Orphan Asylum to Uhlich Children’s Home.

1989

Board approves purchase of 3751 and 3753 N. Mozart Street.

Tom Vanden Berk launches “continuum of care” concept to the board, which is still in use today. (October 16, 1989)

Char Damron becomes the Vice President of the Board. (October 16, 1989)

Dona Barton joins the Uhlich family and is instrumental in the creation of the foster home program for children with complex medical conditions. (January 30, 1989)

1990

Executive Vice President of Administration, Laura Angelucci joins the Uhlich family. (June 05, 1990) She will go on to take over the Residential building(s) in 1999.

President/CEO, Zack Schrantz joins the Uhlich family. (September 19, 1990)

Vice President of Residential, Kathy McCarthy joins the Uhlich family. (October 22, 1990)

1991

Taking advantage of relationships with Chicago athletes and sports teams, Uhlich launches its first All-Stars Celebration, an annual fundraiser and auction of sports memorability to support the work of the organization.

1993

The Family Preservation and Family Support Services Program is established to help prevent child abuse and neglect from occurring and to help families whose children were at risk of being removed.

The first conference of The H.E.L.P Network (Handgun Epidemic Lowering Plan) is held in Chicago.

Uhlich changes its name from Uhlich Evangelican Lutheran Orphan Asylum to Uhlich Children’s Home. (March 15, 1993)

1994

The Multi-Ethnic Placement Act prohibits states from delaying or denying adoption and foster care placements on the basis of race or ethnicity.

Uhlich Children’s Home hosts The Handgun Violence Epidemic: Protecting Our Children at the Hyatt Regency Hotel In Chicago (May 19, 1994).

1995

Executive Vice President of External Affairs and Diversity, Claude Robinson, joins the Uhlich family. (March 13, 1995)

Former client Dennis Legrier joins the family after graduating from Alabama State. Dennis was mentored by a former Advisory Board member, Ron Rosenthal. (July 5, 1995)

1996

Uhlich Children’s Home begins its Clinical and Counseling Department.

1997

The Adoption and Safe Families Act makes significant changes to the child welfare system. Provisions are designed to ensure that child safety, permanency, and well-being, expedite permanency decisions for children in foster care, promote and increase the number of adoptions, establish performance standards and a state accountability system, and encourage states to test innovative approaches to delivering services.

The Uhlich Children’s Home opens the Uhlich Academy, our first therapeutic day school.

Uhlich begins the Hands Without Guns program.

Uhlich receives the James Brown IV Award of Excellence from The Chicago Community Trust presented annually to a Chicago-area, not-for-profit agency that has made an outstanding contribution to the well-being of the citizens of greater Chicago. That awards includes a $5,000 unrestricted grant, which is used to help expand the Uhlich Academy. (October 1, 1997)

1998

The Teen Parent Service Network starts. This new model of providing services in child welfare places greater emphasis on coloration than ever before. Uhlich begins to put in practice its mission of bringing the community’s best resources to provide comprehensive care to pregnant and parenting youth and their children.

Uhlich receives an $80,000 grant from the State of Illinois to fund a new HomeWorks program. Established in 1996, the HomeWorks program is specifically designed for families in crisis situations whose stories were reported to DCFS but not serious enough for state intervention (07/01/98).

The newly minted Hands Without Guns program receives accolades from Mayor Richard M. Daley for launching a toy gun buy-back program.