Shelter & Transitional Adolescent Resources (STAR) Program

Allendale’s Shelter & Transitional Adolescent Resources (STAR) Program offers emergency shelter and housing for locked-out and homeless youth and young adults up to age 23. Serving homeless youth brings our founder Edward Bradley’s vision for Allendale full circle with an opportunity to provide a safe place to re-group and create plans for a better future for themselves.

Allendale is conscious of the importance of supporting and preserving family placements and acknowledges the detrimental impact separation from family and instability in out-of-home placement can have on youth. Our goal is to maintain a child within her/his community, and whenever possible, to keep the family intact. To that end, Allendale is eager to augment involvement in community-based youth services through homeless youth services with emergency housing and referrals to community-based providers for long-term support of the youth and family. With these interventions in place, the goal of diverting and/or minimizing youth involvement with the child welfare and/or juvenile justice systems can be achieved.

There are two components of Allendale's STAR program:

• Emergency shelter for boys and youth identifying as boys, who are ages 14-17; the emergency shelter program located in Lake Villa serves 8 boys at a time, with a max length of stay of 120 days. Allendale is prepared for most youth to stay an average of 2 weeks in the emergency shelter, which means each year 190 youth will receive shelter, nurturing, and support as they stabilize and determine their next steps.
• Transitional living program to serve single, young adults of any gender ages 18-23; this program is based at the Becker Group Home in Waukegan and will serve 6 young adults for up to 2 years. There are also 2 emergency beds for 18–23-year-old young adults at this program location.

Allendale understands that youth need more than a safe haven from a life of crisis, trauma and neglect. That’s why we champion their best interests with positive support and consistent, ongoing guidance – empowering each of them to transcend their circumstances. At Allendale, we believe everyone deserves a healthy childhood, a caring family, and a chance to learn, grow and change course.

Referrals for the STAR program are managed by our 24-hour Homeless Youth Hotline at 847-245-6231. Allendale will also coordinate with Lake County Coalition for the Homeless, PADS, and Lake County’s CCBYS providers.

Thanks for considering a donation from our STAR program's wish list!