Our Mission
Kids’ Chance of Illinois (KCIL) provides post-secondary and trade school scholarships to the children of Illinois workers who have suffered severe injuries or experienced fatal accidents while at work.
About Kids’ Chance of Illinois
Kids’ Chance has grown into a diverse coalition of employers, insurers, labor, state government, medical care providers, and both plaintiff and defense attorneys, all working together to support children affected by workplace injuries in achieving their educational goals.
Kids’ Chance of Illinois has awarded over $660,000 in scholarships to deserving kids.
History
- Robert Clyatt, a workers’ compensation attorney from Valdosta, Georgia, founded the first Kids’ Chance organization in 1988.
- With the assistance of the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Georgia Bar, Bob Clyatt incorporated Kids’ Chance of Georgia.
- Kids’ Chance of Georgia began reaching out to other states and encouraged and assisted them in establishing their own Kids’ Chance organizations.
- All 50 states have organized Kids’ Chance programs that are actively providing need-based scholarships to the families of seriously injured workers.
- Kids’ Chance organizations have collectively awarded over 8,700 educational scholarships since their inception and distributed over $30 million dollars in scholarship funds to workers’ families.
- In 2007 Kids’ Chance began operating as a National 501(c)(3) organization with the mission of creating, assisting and supporting all Kids’ Chance organizations.
- Since the early beginnings in 1988, Kids’ Chance has grown and evolved, and has become a diverse group of employers, insurers, labor, state government, medical care providers, and both plaintiff and defense attorneys, who are working together to make a difference in the lives of all children affected by a workplace injury by helping them achieve their educational dreams.