Heartland laying off more than 140 workers, closing several centers for immigrant children

Heartland Human Care Services plans to lay off more than 140 workers as it prepares to close several Chicago sites that temporarily house children who come to the U.S. without adults, according to the state.

Heartland plans to close facilities in Rogers Park, Washington Heights and Uptown, according to a letter sent by Heartland late last month to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Three of the affected locations serve as temporary residences for immigrant youths who are without a parent or guardian, said Michael Brieschke, chairperson for the union for employees of Heartland Human Care Services. 

At the residences, the children get educational, medical, mental health and legal services until they can be placed with a family member or friend, Brieschke said.

The facilities are slated to close at the end of March, according to the letter. 

Heartland spokesperson Robin Carroll said in an email to the Tribune that the organization plans to shift its youth residential service program “to a slightly smaller, consolidated operating model” as part of its next cooperative agreement with the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Brieschke said the facilities are closing because of a reduction in funding from the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement. The office’s contract with Heartland, to provide funding, is being renewed but with less funding, though the contract is still being negotiated, Brieschke said. 

Carroll said in an email Monday that Heartland is limited in what it can confirm, given that Heartland’s cooperative agreement with the Office of Refugee Resettlement is in “active discussions.”

The federal Administration for Children and Families, which oversees the Office of Refugee Resettlement, did not provide comment. 

But a federal website that detaiils awards and award recipients shows that Heartland Human Care Services received nearly $5.7 million from the office from the Administration for Children and Families in fiscal year 2026, compared with $51.2 million in fiscal year 2025. In 2025, much of the money was for awards for residential services for unaccompanied children, while none of it was for that purpose in fiscal year 2026, according to the database.

One of Heartland’s other residential facilities for the children is expanding its capacity and may be able to take in additional children when the other facilities close, Brieschke said.

It’s also possible that about 30% of the workers slated to be laid off may be able to take other positions within the organization, Brieschke said.

“We deeply appreciate the commitment and quality of work our staff continues to provide during this challenging time,” Carroll, of Heartland, said in the email. “While we recognize this transition is not easy, we are grateful that our team has remained engaged and dedicated throughout the 60‑day notice period, continuing to deliver high‑quality care.”

Though the residences have been able to serve hundreds of kids — many of whom are teenagers — fewer children have been entering the program more recently, Brieschke said.

Heartland has been one of the larger social-service organizations providing the service, he said. Many of the affected employees have been working in the residential program for years because they “really have a heart for these kids coming from third world countries where there’s trauma and war and upheaval,” Brieschke said.

“It’s going to cause certainly a lot of disruption and a lot of uncertainty for these kids going forward,” he said.

Heartland Human Care Services was part of Heartland Alliance until 2024 when Heartland Alliance broke up into four separate entities: Heartland Alliance Health, Heartland Alliance International, Heartland Human Care Services and the National Immigrant Justice Center, Brieschke said.