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To view our annual report
Our Mission
The mission of Family Services of Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, Inc. is to restore, sustain, and enhance the lives of members of our community by providing an array of empowering services that focus on prevention, advocacy, case management, education, counseling and therapy.
A Brief History of our Agency
In 1934, Ms. Borghild Boe was hired as the director of the Welfare Committee of the Visiting Nurse Association. As the director of the agency for more than twenty years, she would leave a legacy of excellence in social service delivery. The agency, then known as the Family Welfare Association of Beloit, was incorporated in 1935 with an annual budget of $5,764. Services were provided at the Pleasant Street Community Center.
In 1947, the agency changed its name to Family Service Association of Beloit to emphasize its role in providing services "rather than relief". The agency provided counseling specific to economic relief issues, "draft investigations", milk to school children, and child welfare services.
The 1950's saw Family Services providing counseling for family relationships as well as "individual personality adjustments", a foster care program, and financial assistance in the form of milk for children, "food and fuel", clothing and medical cost reimbursements.
Services provided in the 1960's and 1970's included counseling to families, (entailing a focus on "unwed mothers") and special services such as homemaker classes, traveler's aid, and recreational camp programs.
Family Services developed an Employee Assistance Component for local employers in the 1980's. Other services included a "Just Say No!" drug abuse prevention program to supplement the agency's mainstay counseling program.
During the 1990's, the agency continued to expand its out-patient mental health services and EAP contracts while bringing "on board" the Youth2Youth program to promote non-tobacco use among youth.
And within the past several years
Family Services developed the Sexual Assault Recovery Program to assist and advocate for victims. The county-wide program was subsequently invited to expand services to Green County and later into Lafayette County.
Through the generous support of the Beloit Foundation, Mercy Health System, Ken and Diane Hendricks, and the Stateline Community Foundation, the agency acquired and renovated the Beloit Domestic Violence Survivor Center.
The Consumer Credit Counseling Service Program processes annually over $2,000,000 of local consumer debt and partnered with community social service providers to offer individual financial counseling.
Additional programs added in the last few years include the Court Appointed Special Advocate Program (an advocacy program for abused and neglected children in the Rock County juvenile court system), and the Beloit Home Companion Registry which links personal care providers with seniors who want to remain at home.
In 2012, thanks to the generosity of the Neese Family Foundation, we moved to new offices located at 416 College Street in Beloit.
Family Services is accredited by the Council On Accredation and is a partner agency with the United Way of Green County.
