Grundy County Children’s Advocacy Center Opens in New Location – Shaw Local

The Grundy County Children’s Advocacy Center now has its own home at 530 Bedford Rd. in Morris.

The Grundy County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony on September 2nd. Oct. 28 with Morris Mayor Chris Brown, State’s Attorney Russ Baker, CAC Executive Director Timberly Jahn and other local officials at the new location. Since August, the center has been operating in a new location in the We Care of Grundy County building.

“Now, by state law, every child in Illinois has access to an accredited CAC,” Yang said. “Thanks to the time and financial contributions of many community members, CAC was able to obtain its own location outside of the police department and is on its way to accreditation. We are grateful for the support.”

The Children’s Advocacy Center is a division of the Grundy County Prosecutor’s Office. The center partners with all law enforcement agencies in Grundy County, the Department of Children and Families and the State Attorney’s Office to provide forensic interviews, child advocacy, mental health outreach and preventative services for children ages 3 to 17. Any child who is suspected of being a victim of physical or sexual abuse or has witnessed a violent crime has access to services provided by CAC. The center was previously located at the Morris Police Department.

Interviews are conducted at the center in a child-friendly, trauma-informed environment to reduce stress, anxiety and prevent further trauma, Jan said. The CAC facilitates a multidisciplinary team that works together to minimize additional trauma to the child victim of maltreatment.

“When you walk into the new center, you will understand the thought and effort that went into the planning and development of this space,” said Chamber President and CEO Christina Van Yperen. “Our community is fortunate that CAC and its team can help at a time when a child may be most vulnerable.”

The Grundy County Child Advocacy Center is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and is available on call from local police agencies and DCFS. For more information about CAC, call 815-941-3285 or visit grundycountyil.gov.

For more information about the Grundy Chamber, visit grundychamber.com or call 815-942-0113.