While The Cradle has made its home at the same Evanston corner for more than a century, the truth is we have never stood still.

Since our founding, The Cradle has continuously evolved alongside the families and communities we serve, adapting to meet changing needs, embracing new ideas, and finding new ways to provide compassionate, high-quality support. This spirit of growth and responsiveness has animated our history, and it continues to shape our future.

This year’s theme, “Meeting the Moment,” reflects both the challenges families are facing today and the opportunity we have as an organization to respond with creativity, care, and purpose.

Families today are navigating a world that often feels uncertain and overwhelming. Economic pressures and stress mount as community connections and access to critical resources fray — with an outsized impact on the most vulnerable among us. At the same time, organizations like The Cradle are being called upon to provide broader, more flexible support to families with increasingly complex needs.

What gives me hope is that this is exactly the kind of moment for which The Cradle was built.

Over the past year, we have expanded our vision for who, how, and where we serve. In October, we launched home visiting services in the Lake County communities of Waukegan, North Chicago, and Zion. This was both the start of something new, no doubt — using our expertise and resources to reach beyond the adoption community, with a focus on strengthening and preserving families. At the same time, this expansion is also a natural continuation a century in the making, building on the same strengths that have defined The Cradle for generations: meeting families where they are, listening without judgment, strengthening relationships and helping parents build the futures they envision for their themselves and their children.

Meeting the moment also means reimagining how families access our services. In the coming year, we will begin transitioning from our longtime headquarters to a new, nearby home. At the same time, we will establish a new satellite location that brings our services closer to the communities we serve. This is more than a change in buildings. It reflects a broader commitment to removing barriers, increasing accessibility, and ensuring families can connect with The Cradle in ways that are welcoming, convenient, and rooted in community.

At the same time, we remain deeply committed to the services that have always been at the heart of our mission. Every day, our team continues to provide thoughtful, individualized options counseling and adoption services, alongside therapy and parental education. In a time when trust can feel increasingly fragile, we remain committed to being a trusted and welcoming presence for everyone who turns to The Cradle for guidance and care.

As I look ahead, I am filled with optimism — not because the challenges facing families are small, but because I see how our community continues to respond with generosity, resilience, and compassion. The Cradle’s ability to evolve over the past 100 years has only been possible because of people like you: families, supporters, volunteers, and partners who believe deeply in the importance of strengthening families.

Thank you for standing with us as we meet this moment together and continue building The Cradle’s future.

With gratitude,

Jason Friedman
President & CEO