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ECFA is an evangelical Christian social services agency. We provide many services, including adoption, pregnancy counseling and care, family counseling, and child welfare services, which include foster care and family preservation. Our highly trained staff is supported by numerous volunteers who contribute many hours to make our success possible.

The story...how we began!
The roots of ECFA go back to 1946 when a newborn baby was found in a paper carton inside the door of one of the buildings at the Moody Bible Institute. Because no evangelical Christian agency was ready to receive the child, it was placed in temporary foster care.

Faced with the challenge of providing Christian foster care, a committee of laypersons and ministers gathered to consider the matter. The challenges were considerable: the need for a state license, the sponsorship of a national organization, and a large sum of cash to show financial stability, and a qualified social service worker. Nevertheless, the goals were eventually reached. By June 1950, the agency had accepted fourteen children.

Since those beginnings, more than half a century ago, the agency has grown dramatically. With offices in Illinois and Wisconsin, ECFA serves hundreds of children and families every year. More importantly, the spiritual needs of those children and adult clients are the agency's primary concern. ECFA staff are not only trained professionals, but also deeply committed Christians. The physical and emotional needs of individuals and families are addressed from a biblical standpoint.

To get an overview of the kinds of services ECFA provides, go to the Services page. You can also fill out our online information request form to have brochures sent to you.

Our Vision
To provide compassionate, Christ-centered services offering hope and healing to children, adults and families.

Our Mission
ECFA endeavors to:
Offer quality social services from a biblical perspective.
Protect and nurture abused, neglected and dependent children.
Strengthen the quality of life for individuals and families.

Our Beliefs and Values
We value the right of each child to live in a secure, loving and permanent family environment where his/her emotional, physical, mental and spiritual needs are effectively met.

We believe that our clients are best served when treated with dignity, respect and confidentiality.

We strive to effectively integrate Christian faith and professional practice in all agency services.

We believe that all of human life is to be held sacred, with all of our services being life-affirming in their intent and impact.

We value openness in adoption services, when in the best interests of the child, because we believe that it results in greater trust and respect between members of the adoption triad.

We strive for excellence in services to all clients, including those who are economically disadvantaged and those from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

We strive to be culturally competent in providing all of our services and to seek cultural diversity among our staff, Board of Directors, volunteers, adoptive parents and foster parents.

Our Statement of Faith
We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible authoritative Word of God.

We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.

We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful men, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.

We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.

We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost: they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.

We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.