Illinois, Northern Indiana, Minnesota, and Southern Wisconsin

2009-2010

Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation (CVLS) - Guardian Ad Litem for Minors Program
In the Guardian Ad Litem for Minors Program, CVLS staff attorneys and volunteers are appointed by the Probate Court to represent children at the center of problematic or contested guardianship cases. Many of the cases involve children who are seriously troubled because of years of neglect or abuse. CVLS staff and volunteer attorneys investigate the issues and parties, report to the court on the child’s best interests, and represent the child throughout the case. http://www.cvls.org/

Children's Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County - Safe from the Start
The Safe From the Start Program assists children, from birth through age 6, who are victims of child abuse and/or witnesses to domestic or community violence, and their family members.  Safe From the Start helps prevent and treat the harmful effects of maltreatment and exposure to violence through specialized assessments, trauma focused counseling, home visits, case coordination and prevention activities.  The goal of the program is to keep children and families free from abuse and violence and to help child victims heal from the trauma they have experienced. http://www.cachelps.org/

Children's Home & Aid Society of Illinois - Healthy Families Illinois
The Healthy Families Illinois program serves families who are first time parents of children, ages five and under, and who demonstrate risk factors for abuse and neglect. Project activities include screenings and assessments, home visits, implementation of an individual family support plan, and resource referrals. The goal of the Healthy Families program is to prevent child abuse and neglect by helping first time parents develop skills and access resources that are needed to successfully parent healthy children. http://www.childrenshomeandaid.org/

Children's Research Triangle - The Chicago Village Assessment and Treatment Program
The Chicago Village Assessment and Treatment Program provides individual, family and group therapy, psycho-educational and support groups, along with psychological assessment for foster children and families.  The project addresses the specialized needs of foster children who have been prenatally exposed to alcohol and drug abuse, as well as the trauma of abuse or neglect.  The goals of this project are to increase the identification, assessment, and treatment of children who suffer the multiple challenges posed by prenatal substance exposure and trauma. http://www.childstudy.org/

Community Counseling Centers of Chicago - Parenting Education Program
The Parenting Education Program provides education and skill development services; home visits to promote safe and effective parenting practices; appropriate referrals to address family needs; and support groups where parents can find the emotional support. The goal of the program is to provide positive parenting skills training, home visits, and supportive services that strengthen family relationships and reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect. http://www.c4chicago.org/

Hephzibah Children's Association - Art Therapy for Hephzibah's Foster Care Program
Hephzibah’s foster care program serves children who have a history of abuse and neglect have a successful transition and permanent placement in a foster family. The Art Therapy program helps foster children who are unable to utilize traditional forms of therapy. The goals of the program are to increase the likelihood of permanency in the foster home, provide an outlet for children to express their feelings and emotions in positive, healthy ways, increase the child’s ability to develop peer relationships, and improve bonding between siblings. http://www.hephzibahhome.org/

Imagination Theater, Inc. - Children's Sexual Abuse Prevention Program (CSAPP)
The Children’s Sexual Abuse Prevention Program (No Secrets) addresses the issue of child abuse through the training of teachers, counselors and school administrators, presentation of participatory theatrical performances, follow-up classroom support, and crisis intervention services. Through these presentations and follow-up services, Imagination Theater educates children, parents, and school staff about personal body safety, equips children with the tools they need to protect themselves from potential abuse and report unsafe touch, and offers resources and support for children who have been abused or have witnessed abuse. http://www.imaginationtheater.org/

Juvenile Protective Association - Coaching Parents to Reduce Child Trauma Project
The Coaching Parents to Reduce Child Trauma Project is a training project for social workers responsible for supervising foster care in the public and private sectors. The goals of the project are to increase the workers’ skills in parent coaching toward the ends of limiting the trauma caused to children by the act of placement, increasing the number and quality of parental visits, and providing a framework for reporting information gathered to juvenile courts for decision making on behalf of children. http://www.juvenile.org/

Lydia Home Association - Safe Families for Children
The mission of the Safe Families program is to prevent child abuse and neglect in families experiencing crisis situations by providing safe, temporary homes for children and support services for parents.  Children who are referred to the program are placed with screened and approved safe families who voluntarily provide a home for the child.  The biological parent maintains full custody of the child, thus eliminating the complications and threatening components of the court system.  The program’s objectives are to prevent child abuse, to support and stabilize families, and to deflect children from entering the child welfare system. http://www.lydiahome.org/

Teen Parent Connection, Inc. - Adolescent Family Strengthening Programs - The Continuum of Care
Teen Parent Connection provides Adolescent Family Strengthening Programs through the continuum of care which includes: Healthy Families Home Visitation, Doula, and Group Services. These programs provide young parents with parenting education and support services for the purpose of preventing child abuse and neglect and aiding young parents toward self-sufficiency. Utilizing researched based programs and practices, the Adolescent Family Strengthening Programs are proven to reduce the risks leading to child abuse and neglect. http://www.teenparentconnection.org/

University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration - The Father Engagement Project
The Father Engagement Project is a research project to develop strategies to engage fathers in Parent Training (PT).  PT is a keystone service in child welfare with a growing number of interventions that are designed to address child physical abuse and neglect. However, fathers have been largely neglected in both PT research and services. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a father engagement model for PT that will be tested in a larger follow-up study. http://www.ssa.uchicago.edu/ 

The Women's Treatment Center - Infant and Toddler Daycare Program
The Infant and Toddler Daycare Program is a key component of The Women’s Treatment Center’s comprehensive early intervention/abuse prevention services for children ages 0-3 and their mothers. Services include medical and educational assessments and referrals, developmentally-appropriate curricula, individualized lesson plans and early intervention services.  Parenting assessments, education, and intervention serve to identify and reduce behaviors shown to contribute to child abuse and neglect, and improve mothers’ ability to manage their children’s behavior in a positive manner. http://www.womenstreatmentcenter.org/

Youth Guidance - Mental Health Counseling through Community Schools
Youth Guidance’s Mental Health Counselor works in conjunction with the Community Schools program at Parker Community Academy elementary school, where students are plagued by poverty, community violence, and child abuse and neglect. The Mental Health Counselor will provide students and families increased access to mental health support services including prevention and intervention services. http://www.youth-guidance.org/

Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center - Sexual Assault Treatment Counseling Program for Children
The Sexual Assault Treatment Counseling Program for Children addresses the needs of victims of sexual assault and abuse who are between the ages of 3 to 17. The program offers individual and or group counseling utilizing a “Client Centered” counseling modality. The program also offers short-term crises intervention for victims and their non-offending family members. Services are designed to help clients heal and learn how to cope with the trauma of their sexual assault experiences. http://www.zachariascenter.org/