Our History

Providing hope, healing and justice for abused children, since 1995.

In 1995, Will County State’s Attorney James W. Glasgow, established the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center offering services and advocacy to children who were victims of sexual abuse and severe physical abuse. These services included child-sensitive interviews for law enforcement purposes, professional referrals to specialized pediatric medical exams, and referrals to local counseling services and community resources.

Saint Joseph Medical Center (now Ascension Saint Joseph - Joliet) matched a grant from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to open the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center in a donated office suite on the campus of Silver Cross Hospital.

The FRIENDS OF THE WILL COUNTY CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTER - a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization was created in 1999 to allow the Will County CAC to raise necessary donations from empathetic and generous individuals, businesses and organizations to carry out its life-changing mission.

Edward Hospital began providing medical exams at their specialized Care Center in 2002 and continues to provide those services today.

Within a year of opening, the Will County CACwas granted full membership status in the National Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers, now known as the National Children’s Alliance, and earned full accreditation by 2004.

Recognizing a greater need, State’s Attorney Glasgow offered the center’s services to both Kendall County and Grundy County until both counties were able to start their own centers (Kendall in 2007, Grundy in 2010) to serve children.

In 2012, State’s Attorney Glasgow established the Paws-4-Kids pet therapy program to comfort abused children who visit the Will County CAC with Jackson, a yellow Labrador Retriever licensed through Therapy Dogs International. Although Jackson sadly passed away in 2022, comfort dogs Kiwi, Krypto, Bridget and Angus currently provide needed support to children served by the CAC.

In 2015, evidence-based counseling services were added with the hiring of four full-time certified trauma therapists who provide individual and group trauma therapy for children and non-offending family members. That same year, Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow honored those who were instrumental in establishing the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center and/or enabling it to continue its important work:

• Sister Coletta Hennessy - Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center
• Paul Pawlak - Silver Cross Hospital
• Illinois Department of Children & Family Services
• Dr. Sangita Rangala - Care Center at Edward Hospital

In 2023, Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino Tarrant and the Will County Board led by Chair Judy Ogalla, purchased an existing brick and frame commercial building at 1206 Cedarwood Drive, Crest Hill to be the child-focused setting for the Will County Children's Advocacy Center; designed to provide a safe, comfortable, and neutral space for the CAC’s important work. The 1.5 story building was built in 2008 as a preschool with a total of 16,359 sq. ft. of above-ground space and a full, finished 10,780 sq. ft. basement that included outdoor areas with playground amenities and equipment, a large training room with stage, an elevator, and a parking lot for 70 vehicles. The space included a variety of assets that support CAC operations and provide opportunities for expansion, including a fenced area for therapy dogs, and lots of rooms for victim sensitive forensic interviews, and individual and group therapy. The County Executive's Office oversaw the process of renovating the existing classrooms into client service areas that includes two forensic interview rooms, four family waiting rooms, two multidisciplinary team observation rooms, and multiple individual and group therapy rooms, as well as private offices for CAC staff and interns, and office space that our MDT members can utilize while at the CAC for forensic interviews.