The Baby Fold

08/27/2026

What a special day for our dear friends and the students they are supporting through their generosity! This custom-built sensory room is an integral part of our school day, providing a safe, healing-centered space where our special education students can feel supported, regulated, and ready to learn. Thank you to all who joined us in celebration!

08/25/2026

💙 For 20 years, Stacia Murphy has been a caring and familiar presence in the lives of students at The Baby Fold's Hammitt School.

Stacia joined The Baby Fold in 2006, drawn to Hammitt School’s commitment to helping students with unique needs thrive—a mission that held special meaning for her as the mother of a son with autism.

For 17 years, she dedicated herself to the STRIVE program, building meaningful relationships with students with Autism while also mentoring new staff. Today, she continues to maintain relationships with students she has known for years while building new connections throughout the school.

A colleague shared, “Whether she is pitching in wherever she is needed, welcoming a student into the front office, supporting a coworker, or simply making someone’s day a little brighter, Stacia creates a sense of safety, trust, and belonging.”

And when asked what has kept her at Hammitt School all these years, Stacia’s answer is simple: “the people and the kids.” She describes her coworkers as thoughtful and caring people who truly love and respect their students. 💙

Stacia, thank you for 20 years of dedication and care, and for the difference you continue to make in the lives of our community's special education students. 💙🎉

08/19/2026

Safety starts at home! 🏠💙 Our Healthy Start team recently held a Safety Drive, providing hardworking families with baby-proofing essentials such as cabinet latches, door-handle covers, first aid kits, and baby gates. These simple tools can make a big difference in creating safer spaces for little ones to grow, learn, and explore!

08/19/2026

💙 For 10 years, Sarah Baker has helped move The Baby Fold forward with compassion, creativity, and a deep commitment to children and families.

Sarah began her journey as a dedicated Foster Care Caseworker, helping children and families build safer, more stable futures. In 2021, she transitioned to Quality Coordinator and today is the Assistant Vice President of Quality Improvement.

Today, Sarah’s impact reaches across the agency through training, mentoring, collaboration, data, best practices, and helping programs tell the story of their outcomes and successes. She is a trusted resource, always willing to help others navigate challenges and find solutions.

One colleague shares, "The positive impact you have had in Quality Improvement and Best Practice here at The Baby Fold is impressive...I treasure the creative, analytical, compassionate, and joyous mind that you bring to the work you do."

Sarah, thank you for 10 years of dedication to this important work. 🎉 You continue to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children, youth, and families every day.💙

08/18/2026

📣 NOW HIRING: DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

📍 Normal, IL | 💰 $50,000+
🕗 Full-time | ⭐ Generous PTO & benefits | 403(b) match

Are you highly organized, detail-oriented, and great at keeping projects moving? Join The Baby Fold’s Development & PR team in a key role that combines fundraising operations, donor database management, event planning, project coordination, and marketing support.

You’ll manage donor data and gift processing, coordinate fundraising events and projects, support donor communications and marketing efforts, and help keep department operations running smoothly.

If you enjoy data, details, events, and variety—and want to put those skills to work for children and families—we’d love to hear from you!

Apply today! ✅ https://bit.ly/TBF-Dev-Op-Specialist

08/17/2026

Some of the best gifts don’t come wrapped. They come from people and businesses choosing to give back to their community through The Baby Fold's Festival of Trees. A special thank-you to:

🎅Chick-fil-A Veterans & College
🎅D.J.'s Painting and Remodeling
🎅Illinois Prairie Community Foundation and Tom Howe in memory of Ellen Howe
🎅Chestnut Health Systems
🎅Integrity Technology Solutions Inc.
🎅Wild Birds Unlimited Normal, IL

Their generosity helps The Baby Fold bring healing, care, and hope to local children and families. Want to join these generous sponsors? Call 309-451-7235 or visit FestOfTrees.org.

08/12/2026

Santa’s list keeps growing, thanks to generous businesses that believe in helping local children and families! A big Festival of Trees thank-you to:

🌟Heartland Community College
🌟Wm. Masters, Inc
🌟Jim and Diana Brown
🌟SOCU Pontiac Branch
🌟PNC
🌟Cumulus Media Radio Bloomington

Through their sponsorship of The Baby Fold’s Festival of Trees, they’re helping provide healing, care, and hope right here in our community.

Want your business to join them? Call 309-451-7235 or visit FestOfTrees.org!

08/11/2026

We loved welcoming Youth Global Citizens from For A Better Tomorrow to The Baby Fold! 💙

As part of their leadership journey, these young people are learning what it means to be servant leaders while putting those lessons into action. Their recent visit gave them an opportunity to tour The Baby Fold, learn more about the children and families we serve, and see firsthand how our programs bring healing and hope to our community.

Now, they’re taking what they learned and developing a service project to benefit The Baby Fold, including raising funds to support our mission.

We’re grateful to be one of their nonprofit partners and excited to see these young leaders use their strengths and passions to make a difference for local children and families!

08/07/2026

From Russian orphan to the newest member of The Baby Fold's Board of Directors.

Elena Funk spent the first eight years of her life in a Russian orphanage, where she endured unimaginable abuse and neglect. After being adopted and brought to the United States, she was later abandoned and came to The Baby Fold in need of safety, stability, and hope. Here, she found adults who believed in her before she believed in herself—and relationships that would last a lifetime.

After graduating from college, Elena returned to The Baby Fold to work with children facing challenges similar to those she had experienced. Today, she is a successful business owner, wife, and mother of two, and now helps guide the organization that once cared for her.

Thank you to 25News WEEK for helping us share her story with our community!

‘Coming Home’: Former resident of The Baby Fold returns to lead the nonprofit that provided her care as a child

https://www.25newsnow.com/2026/08/07/coming-home-former-resident-baby-fold-returns-lead-nonprofit-that-provided-her-care-child/