Mooseheart might take in dozens of Haitian children

Mooseheart Child City and School may take in as many as 50 Haitian children orphaned or otherwise displaced by the earthquake in their homeland.

School officials, moved by the desperate plight of the children, decided Jan. 19 to offer its services, said Mooseheart's executive director, Scott Hart.

"This is what we do," Hart said, speaking of the school's work with at-risk children. "It is a good fit."

Mooseheart officials contacted state and local legislators to find out how to help. They also called on a 1989 Mooseheart graduate who has contacts with White House and State Department officials in Washington, D.C., through a nonprofit organization he runs.

If Haitian children are brought to the United States, it would be through the Health and Human Services Department's Office of Refugee Resettlement, Division of Unaccompanied Children, Hart said.

A major step was accomplished last week when the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, which licenses Mooseheart, granted a waiver on admission requirements. Normally, Mooseheart needs the permission of a guardian, a court or an officer of the law to admit a child. In this case, the U.S. government will be the guardian.

"It's a little different from what we are used to," Hart said.

He cautioned that the federal government has not signed off on the plan; other organizations are also seeking to host Haitian refugee children.

One factor in Mooseheart's favor is that it is DCFS-licensed to accept newborns and toddlers.

And the Haitian government hasn't decided, as of Tuesday, whether to allow orphaned or unaccompanied children out of the country.

When children might arrive is unknown, and "temporary" could mean a few days, a few weeks, a few months or longer, according to Hart.

"A lot of the situation is fluid and changes every day," Hart said.

Workers are preparing three empty group houses, and making plans to consolidate some current students into other homes to make room. Depending on the age, sex and language ability of the Haitians, some could end up integrated with the regular Mooseheart residents.

Hart is looking for volunteers from the community who speak fluent French to serve as translators - "being the voice of the child," he said. Volunteers would have to undergo a criminal-background check and provide references. Those interested can contact Hart at (630) 906-3601.

Founded in 1913, Mooseheart is supported completely through private donations, mostly from the 1.1 million members of the international Loyal Order of Moose fraternal organization, in the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and Bermuda. Moose International headquarters is located on the Mooseheart campus between Batavia and North Aurora.

Mooseheart operates a kindergarten through high school academic program. Nearly 230 children live there. Applications for admission are considered from any family whose children lack a stable home environment.