Founded in 1930, Family Service of Lake County responds to the ever-changing needs of the community with professional social services, educational programs and case management referrals for all ages. Family Service of Lake County continues to evolve to address critical community needs in Highland Park and Highwood. Clients come from diverse communities and across the full economic spectrum and life cycle. Their history is to serve all in need, regardless of ability to pay. Most services are available at no out-of-pocket cost to the client. Family Service annually serves over 6,000 clients of all ages. Family Service works to ensure that their supportive services can be affordable for all who need them. Supporters like the Highland Park Community Foundation help make that possible. With the Foundation’s help, they are able to make counseling available even to a significant number of clients who are uninsured or underinsured or cannot pay their minimum sliding-scale fee of $15. With this year’s grant, Family Service will provide specialized supports to two high need populations in our community: 1) Seniors and their caregivers – for Highland Park and Highwood’s seniors and their caregivers, mobility, isolation, grief, loss, and the emotional toll of illness are common sources of distress. 2) Latino children and their families – in Highland Park and Highwood, school age Latino youth face challenges stemming from barriers created by: language, household income, lack of familiarity with the area’s public and community service systems.