About Us

Rediscover Hope

Over the years, The Hope Institute for Children and Families has been a leading provider of evidence based, innovative care for children and young adults with multiple disabilities.

A Springfield dentist and his wife, Dr. and Mrs. Charles E. Jordan, founded The Hope School in 1957. The Jordan’s were dissatisfied with the lack of learning opportunities and placement options for their daughter, who was blind and had multiple disabilities. After much travel and research, the Jordan’s found a facility in England that offered a school program for children with multiple disabilities, but it was filled to capacity. They traveled to England, studied the program, and returned to Illinois where they founded The Hope School.

The School began in a modest, six-room house. By 1958, the School moved to a larger home. In 1960, there were 16 children and a need for more space. The lake property was acquired and ground was broken for the new facility and current campus.

In building a list of retired board members, we recently learned that in 1985, The Hope School served 85 children by employing 85 staff. In 2005, The Hope Institute for Children and Families:

provides residential, health, and educational services to more than 100 children residing on campus and in community homes
provides assessment, treatment, and consultation through The Autism Program to over 500 children and families.

We do this by employing 470 staff, linking 8 Illinois Universities, and collaborating with 4 out of state research institutions, including:

The Hope Institute for Children and Families is a private, not-for-profit, multifaceted educational, residential, health services, research, and training provider focused on supporting youth and families to reach optimum growth, independence, and joy. In collaboration with university partners and families, The Hope Institute serves more than 115 children (ages 5-21) with multiple disabilities, including autism. Although there are numerous day students, most of the children live and receive residential services through the Hope Center for Residential Services year-round and attend either the on-grounds accredited school or are enrolled at local public schools. Each child has a living and learning program.

The Hope Institute employs more than 470 year-round staff to provide 24-hour care and support services. Staff includes direct care providers, nurses, vocational/job coaches, teachers, occupational, physical and speech therapists, behavior specialists, and clinical psychologists.