The work of SOS Children's Villages in the United States began in 1950, when a group was established in New York to put Hermann Gmeiner's idea into practice in that country. In 1963, "Friends of SOS Children's Villages International Inc." was officially registered. Despite its economic wealth, many children and young people are in need of protection and support in the United States of America.
At present there are four SOS Children’s Villages in the USA.
SOS Children's Village Lockport is located about 50 km south-east of Chicago, Illinois. Illinois is located in the MidWest part of the United States and is close to Lake Michigan. Chicago, with approximately 3 million inhabitants (8 million in Greater Chicago), is the third largest city in the United States. It is an important industrial, financial and commercial centre. Chicago's location next to numerous waterways has made it an important traffic junction. Chicago O'Hare International Airport is one of the largest airports in the world.
The decision to construct SOS Children's Village Lockport was taken in 1988 and the corner-stone ceremony took place in 1992. The SOS Children's Village was completed in 1993 and the first children moved into the village in 1994. Around 90 children can be given a home there. It consists of ten two-story family houses, the village director's house, a workshop, an office building and a community centre with rooms for ceremonies and other social activities. A playground is also situated within the grounds of the SOS Children's Village.
