Here on campus, students are planning looking forward to the annual Easter Basket run by our friends from ABATE.  Plans are underway for Prom (a Hope tradition) and, shortly thereafter, graduation.

None of this would be possible without your generous support.  We appreciate the generous donations we receive from across the nation.  Won’t you consider a Gift of Hope?  It’s easier than ever — just click the “Donate Now” button on your browser.

All in all, 2009 was a good year.  We weathered the fiscal storms that plagued the State of Illinois and preserved critical services.  Our operations in Springfield continued to grow, and we opened a new public general education contract school in Chicago.  The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP) was one of the sponsors of the national town hall meeting, Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism (AFAA), and we opened a new dental clinic at Noll Medical Pavilion.

None of this would have been possible without each of you.  On behalf of Hope’s 567 employees and the 26,000 children and families we serve each year, please accept my thanks.

Looking forward, 2010 also holds the promise of great developments at Hope.  We recently completed an agreement with the Illinois Department of Human Services that will transform the way we provide residential services for children.  While it won’t change our bottom line at Hope, this new agreement — the first completed by a residential services provider in Illinois — will mean an additional $3.1 million in Medicaid reimbursement for the state.

In order to implement this new agreement, we’ll be purchasing three new group homes in Springfield.  In addition — once access issues are resolved — we’ll be investing $6 million in campus residential renovation over the next five years.

There are wonderful things happening at The Hope Institute for Children and Families.  None of these things would have been possible without your support.  What better time to renew that support than in the last days of 2009?  It’s easy, and can be done right from our web site.  Simply click the “Donate Now” button you’ll find at the top of the page.

Thank you from all the Children of Hope!

To that end, we were pleased to cooperate with Rep. Rich Brauer and Sen. Deanna DeMuzio to draft successful legislation creating a commission to assure that Illinois receives all the Medicaid reimbursement to which it is entitled.  We are also working with the Illinois Department of Human Services to change our residential programs to allow Illinois to recoup additional federal funds.

Neither of these efforts add anything to our bottom line at Hope, but they are the right and responsible thing to do.  Look for more information on these two topics in the weeks to come.

During this time, we also try to teach our children the importance of giving to others.  As I was leaving campus last night, a group of students was going into the gym to wrap presents for others.  Our senior students have visited nursing homes and served at St. John’s Breadline to help spread holiday cheer.  It is nice to know that those who have received so much also understand how to give to others.

Our thanks to the sponsors of this legislation:  Representatives Rich Brauer and Cynthia Soto and Senators Larry Bomke, Deanna Demuzio, Christine Radogno, Pamela Althoff and David Koehler.