CARITAS FAMILY SOLUTIONS HISTORY
Caritas Historical Timeline
1940's
July 31, 1947: Catholic Charities is established by the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Albert Zuroweste.
| 1947 - In 1947, the Public Welfare Act made the state responsible for all child care, as private agencies could no longer meet demand. |
| Catholic Charities received its initial license from the Illinois Department of Public Welfare to assume legal custody of children and facilitate their placement in adoptive or foster homes. |
| April 29, 1948 - Bishop Zuroweste names Rev. Edward Reeb as Diocesan Director of the Agency, where he will serve for 16 years. Four years later, he will dedicate new infant care cottages at St. John’s Orphanage. |
1950's
Total Revenue: $52,654
1953 –309 Active Child Welfare Cases |
1960's
| September 9, 1968 - Anthony Jenkins (1968-1972) hired as Director of CSS (African-American and non-Catholic); Offices located in Shop City Medical Center at 4601 State Street, East St. Louis, IL and branch office at 16 South Illinois Street, Belleville, IL. |
| 1964 - Vatican II drives more laity involvement. |
| 1966 - The Agency was authorized to create temporary foster homes for unmarried individuals awaiting placement in a maternity home or local hospital outside their own community. |
| 1966 - In 1966, the caseload consisted of 506 cases (excluding brief services), with 60 children placed in permanent homes. Of these cases, 156 involved unmarried individuals seeking support. St. John's Orphanage cared for 83 children, while 24 others lived in foster or specialized homes. |
| April 1968 - In April, Catholic Charities becomes Catholic Social Services of Diocese of Belleville. |
| September 1968 - Anthony Jenkins is appointed Director of CSS, becoming the organization’s first African American, non-Catholic director. |
| October, 1968 - CSS serves the community from offices in Shop City Medical Center in East St. Louis, IL and at 16 South Illinois Street in Belleville. |
| October, 1968 - Branch Office Located at 16 South Illinois Street, Belleville, IL. |
Total Revenue: $169,885
1970's
| 1972 - Michael Dalton becomes Director of CSS, opens offices in Marion, Breese, and Mt. Carmel. |
1977 - Cook County Circuit Court ruled that Illinois must fully reimburse Catholic Charities Agencies for foster care services provided to state wards. Faced with either closing or ceasing service to state wards—both unacceptable—the agencies will now receive reimbursement for all costs related to children, their natural parents, and foster parents. |
| 1977 - Director Dalton encourages CSS to prioritize family counseling over placing children in foster care whenever possible. |
1978 - CSS becomes a United Way Safety Net Partner agency. |
| 1979 - CSS adds marriage and pre-marital counseling to its service line. |
| October, 1979 - Branch office in Carbondale opens. |
1980's
| 1983 - Senior Aides Program debuts at the Mt. Carmel office to provide part-time jobs for people 55+. |
| 1988 - John Laker becomes Executive Director of Catholic Social Services. |
| 1989 - Branch office opens in Mt. Vernon. |
| 1989 - 1990 - The CSS Advisory Board becomes the CSS Board of Trustees, taking on responsibility for hiring executive leadership, setting policy, approving budgets, and overseeing management of the agency. |
Total Revenue: $1,219,938
1990's
| 1992 - At the request of DCFS, CSS opens St. John Bosco Children’s Center after two years of planning. The Center features round-the-clock staffing with an operating budget of $550,000. |
1992
CSS opens St. John Bosco Children's Center in January with an operating budget of $550,000 and twenty-four staff.
| 1995 - Carbondale Office established. |
| 1999 - CSS moves into its current headquarters in the Kil-Mar building in Belleville. |
2000's
2000
Catholic Social Services of Southern Illinois received its initial accreditation from the Council on Accreditation (COA).
| August 17, 2002 - Rob Singer, Executive Director of Catholic Social Services of Southern Illinois, died at the age of 42. |
| 2003 - David Wenzel becomes the Executive Director |
| 2003 – Agency has five offices: Belleville, Breese, Carbondale, Mt. Carmel, and Mt. Vernon. |
2005
Gary Huelsmann, MSW, is appointed Executive Director of Catholic Services of Southern Illinois. The title is later changed to Chief Executive Officer.
Total Revenue: $6,784,089
2006
CSS assumed management responsibilities for the Fox River Assisted Living Center in Olney, IL.
| 2007 - Spring - Don Bosco Children's Center will relocate to 900 Royal Heights Road in Belleville, IL. (Currently, Caritas Youth Residential Center) |
2010's
2011
Dispute with Illinois over the Religious Freedom Act led to a legal suit with other Catholic Charities organizations.
2012
To comply with new state laws and the Religious Freedom Act, CSS separates from the Diocese and becomes an independent nonprofit called Christian Social Services of Illinois.
February 1, 2012
Catholic Social Services of Southern Illinois became Christian Social Services of Illinois
August, 2012
CSS assumed responsibility for child welfare cases previously managed by the Springfield Diocese's Catholic Charities, and subsequently opened new offices in East Alton and Effingham to oversee these cases.
Total Revenue: $13,219,399
| January, 2013 - CSS receives the 2012 Business Excellence Award from the Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce. In March, it is named Outstanding Agency of the Year by SIUE's Department of Social Work. The Carbondale office relocates to Carterville, and the Mt. Carmel office moves to Mt. Vernon. |
| March, 2013 - Recognized as Outstanding Agency of the Year by the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Social Work. |
| 2013 – Carbondale office relocated to Carterville and the Mt. Carmel office was moved to Mt. Vernon. |
2014
Effective January 1, 2014, CSS was renamed Caritas Family Solutions to better reflect its history and vision. "Caritas" means love or charity in Latin.
2014
The first Caritas CILA for adults with developmental disabilities opened in October in Caseyville, IL.
2016 - In 2016, St. John Bosco Children's Center doubled its capacity, expanding its ability to serve more children in need. That same year, growth continued with the opening of the third CILA home in Fairview Heights in January, followed by the addition of a fourth home in Swansea in July. Additionally, the Belleville regional office was relocated to 900 Royal Heights Road, marking another significant development for the organization.
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| 2018 - DCFS selected Caritas Family Solutions as an "immersion" agency to participate in a collaborative initiative implementing a Core Practice Model for supporting young people in cases of abuse or neglect. |
June, 2018
Following the acquisition of Fontebella Maternity Home, the agency officially inaugurated its newest program, the Fontebella Maternity Home in O’Fallon.
July, 2018
Caritas opens a new regional office in Mt. Vernon.
2019
The agency began its first Intact Family Services program, which provides preventative services aimed at maintaining family unity.
2019
The fifth Caritas CILA for adults with developmental disabilities was purchased in January 2019.
2019
The sixth Caritas CILA for adults with developmental disabilities was rented from 2019-2022 and purchased in November 2022.
Total Revenue: $26,317,958
2020's
2020 - Caritas expanded its Royal Heights Road location in Belleville with new counseling offices, and a $1.4 million renovation adds a 12-bed girls’ unit to St. John Bosco Children’s Center. |
2022 - The organization expanded its reach by opening new offices in Alton and Glen Carbon, and incorporated trauma-informed practices into its programs. Caritas also launched an Emergency Shelter program for children, became the state's second-largest private provider of child-welfare services, and began offering support to young mothers through DCFS at Fontebella Maternity Home. |
| 2023 - In 2023, services were provided to more than 2,750 children, with ongoing support offered to over 6,500 individuals of all ages. |
| 2023 - The former Fonteballa location changed to the seventh CILA for adults with developmental disabilities in early 2023. |
| 2023 - The eighth Caritas CILA for adults with developmental disabilities was purchased in October 2023. |
| 2024 - The agency created a new program structure with three pillars: Child and Family Services, Behavioral Health Supports, and Community Outreach. |
| 2025 - The Caritas Family Solutions Foundation was established to ensure the agency’s ongoing sustainability and to facilitate strategic planning for its future development. |
| 2025 October 1, 2025 - Merger with HSS to expand services in Mental Health and to adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. |
2025 Total Operating Budget: $51,600,000