Since 1989, The Children's Advocacy Center of North & Northwest Cook County (CAC) has assisted more than 7,000 children and their family members from the north and northwest suburbs faced with the horror of child abuse. The problem of child abuse becomes more confounding and tragic everyday. CAC is the outreached hand to these children.

While CAC cannot stop child abuse, it is a refuge once the abuse is discovered. In recognizing the right of all children to a safe childhood, CAC continuously strives to reduce trauma and provides support to child victims of violence and their families. The Center serves as a community resource to facilitate the identification, intervention and prevention of child abuse.

Then and Now
Before the existence of advocacy centers, victims may have been forced to relive an incident of sexual or severe physical abuse through repeated interviews. The State of Illinois recognized this problem and legislation passed in 1989 addressed the issue of over investigation, lack of child welfare and legal coordination, and follow-up treatment issues.

By working closely with numerous agencies involved with abuse investigations, CAC attempts to limit interviews with child sexual abuse victims to a single session. Representatives from local law enforcement agencies, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and the Cook County State's Attorney's Office witness a child-sensitive interview with the victim. The interview is conducted in CAC's warm, home-like atmosphere instead of an unfamiliar institutional police station or hospital.