When you are pregnant the most important thing for you and your baby is your health and well-being. It is important to know about all 3 of your options, to help you make the best decision for you and your baby. In addition to options counseling, we provide many more free services for pregnant/parenting women and teens.
Whether you are feeling anxious, depressed, or are grieving the loss of a pregnancy we can help. Prior to getting pregnant, I believed adoption had this negative connotation. From what I saw in the media, and even within my own family, adoption was a mother abandoning her child and never seeing the child again.
Whether you are feeling anxious, depressed, or are grieving the loss of a pregnancy we can help. Prior to getting pregnant, I believed adoption had this negative connotation. From what I saw in the media, and even within my own family, adoption was a mother abandoning her child and never seeing the child again.
Services
Founded in 1887 by the Episcopal Sisters of St. Mary, they began assisting low income women and children in Chicago's south side. By 1894, the sisters moved to the west side and began to shelter orphans and children of ill and unemployed working women, soon after, it evolved into foster care and became known as St. Mary's Home for Children.
Reviews (10)
Paula Peterson
Jul 14, 2021
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Joanne Bratta, The Director of Hopeful Beginnings is a true pleasure to work with. Her caring and complete understanding of the journey of birth mothers and adoptive parents is wonderful and I would recommend Hopeful Beginnings to anyone looking for counseling or has questions on this sensitive time in a person's life.
T.-Cardsystems Better Way
Dec 09, 2020
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Gary Cox
Jul 24, 2020
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I was adopted through St. Mary's as a baby 50 years ago. In the past ten years, I've reconnected and am proud to now serve on the board. The caring staff are true to the founding sisters' vision that every child deserves a good home. In addition to adoption, outreach to high school teens, workshops for parents, and many types of counseling for women continue to provide listening and guidance with dignity and compassion for women, children, and families. Hopeful Beginnings of St. Mary's continues to make an enormous positive difference in many people's lives as it has in mine.
Chad Bauer
Sep 16, 2019
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St Mary’s is dedicated to their mission. They offer numerous services for birth moms as they navigate the adoption journey.
The attention they give and caring they provide for waiting families is wonderful.
My wife and I chose them in late 2011 because they were smaller and really felt comfortable.
Personal touch is paramount during this process for both birth moms and families waiting. St Mary’s provides this on an ongoing basis.
I will forever be thankful to this organization for fostering the unconditional love my nearly 7 year old daughter provides my wife and I since we brought her
The attention they give and caring they provide for waiting families is wonderful.
My wife and I chose them in late 2011 because they were smaller and really felt comfortable.
Personal touch is paramount during this process for both birth moms and families waiting. St Mary’s provides this on an ongoing basis.
I will forever be thankful to this organization for fostering the unconditional love my nearly 7 year old daughter provides my wife and I since we brought her
Nick Martinelli
Aug 07, 2018
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Jill Harris
Jul 11, 2018
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As a board member for St. Mary's Services for 8 years, I have had an excellent view of the growth of the agency. The staff is passionate about the mission, "Every child deserves a good home". Our executive director is a visionary. She has created an environment that encourages inventive solutions and programs to support the women, children and families in the community. From the volunteers to the board of trustees, the focus is always how best can we help create loving, caring and stable families.
Joanne Bratta
Oct 20, 2017
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Rose Llewellyn
Jun 08, 2017
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I had a wonderful experience with St. Mary's, they helped us out a lot as we were doing an independent international adoption. Caseworker was very informative she did a thorough homestudy and she made sure that everything was as it needed to be for us to continue, she was very professional and she had stated that she was not opposed to going to other countries as she has done prior to help complete adoptions that is how dedicated she was. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about St. Mary's and I would refer family and friends to use their services. They are extremely professional and they
April Ferguson
Jun 07, 2017
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Love the place and the people there.... But the family who adopted my two girls made their selfs seem like some one their not... I have a open adoption and the people who have my girls wont let them see me or their brother and sister no more.. No pictures videos calls no letters nothing... AND IM PISSED
Brett Locascio
May 13, 2017
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We adopted 2 children through St. Mary's in 2014 after waiting less than a year. We had looked at 2 other agencies and felt the most comfortable with them. They really looked at us as people and not just another waiting family or a number in their pool. Out of all the agencies, we felt they had the most heart then and still do to this day. Their staff is wonderful and was with us every step of the way - through up's and downs. They were easy to work with and made the process as easy as it could be. They are not the largest but we like that. It made us feel a personal connection and that we mattered
