Adoption, Foster Events Care Scheduled After AJ Freund Tragedy

LIBERTYVILLE, IL — Just days after 5-year-old Crystal Lake boy Andrew "AJ" Freund was found dead and authorities charged his parents murder, people are looking to help keep children from troubled homes, and find them loving parents. Let It Be Us, a Barrington-based nonprofit with the mission of adoption and education of children in foster care across the state, is hosting two upcoming Adoption and Foster Care Information Fair events; one in Libertyville and one in Woodstock.

Moms of McHenry County, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting, empowering and encouraging members through every stage of motherhood and serving the community is inviting anyone interested to the Woodstock event (see registration information below).

"Please join us in learning how we can help provide more stable lives for children and families in light of AJ and all the other children in unstable homes," the group said in a Facebook post. "This information fair will focus on learning how to make an impact in our community through fostering, adoption, and volunteering. Let's work together as a community to focus on solutions as this past week has been difficult for all of us."

Andrew AJ Freund was born in October 2013 with opiates and benzodiazepines in his system. DCFS removed him from his mother's care, and he lived with a foster family until he was 18 months old.

"We, the family that lovingly cared for Andrew (AJ) during the first 18 months of his life and were then allowed to be in his life for another 26 months until the parents abruptly prevented us from having any further contact with him, want everyone to know that AJ was loved by us with all our hearts," according to the statement released by the family's lawyer, Peter J. Flowers of Meyers & Flowers Trial Attorneys. "While we had him in our lives, he had a happy, fun-loving life."

There are 17,000 children in foster care across Illinois and all are in need of a permanent home. Let It Be Us, a Barrington-based nonprofit with the mission of adoption and education of children in foster care across the state, is hosting the Adoption and Foster Care Information Fair from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at Libertyville Civic Center, located at 135 West Church Street, Libertyville. Let It Be Us said it's recruiting parents for all Illinois children in need during the "town hall style" event, and will feature foster care licensing agencies in Lake County, Chicago, and surrounding areas.

Their event will also feature a panel of experts, including Susan McConnell, an adoptive mother, in addition to founder, and Executive Director of Let It Be Us. According to Let It Be Us, McConnell will talk about openness with birth families in adoption, as she is the parent of four children, including three by adoption, all open. Susan has 27 years of experience in openness in adoption. Open adoption is defined as, "In its simplest sense, an open adoption is one in which the adopting parents and the birth mother (and possibly the birth father) have some form of contact, directly or through an agency or lawyer

Moms of McHenry County are hosting the following Adoption and Foster Care Information Fair, taking place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, at Mixin Mingle, 124 Cass St., Woodstock.

Let It Be Us "works in a partnership with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), and all the licensing agencies in Illinois, and we are funded by grants and donations. The children available for adoption are all ages, stages and ethnicities."

Parents with or without a foster care license are welcome to attend, as Let It Be Us said this event "is a great way to learn how to begin or continue your journey through foster care and foster care adoptions in Illinois."

Visit the Heart Gallery of Illinois — a photograph and story exhibit of Illinois children waiting for adoption — to learn more or to offer support.