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Dear Friends of Children’s Advocacy Centers of Illinois,
As 2021 is coming to an end, we look back and then move forward. We reflect on what we’ve learned, what we will take with us, and what we will leave behind. Most importantly this year, I will take appreciation forward. The appreciation for the countless professionals and community members that DO THE WORK to protect kids, every day.
Thank you to all MDT members; Law Enforcement Officers, Child Protection Workers, Mental Health Providers, Specialized Medical Providers, Prosecutors, and CAC staff for your courage and commitment to the MDT model, even when it gets hard.
Thank you to Illinois educators and administrators for stronger partnerships with CACs and your continued commitment to not only educating our children but also learning about and implementing new policies and procedures that will help protect our children from abuse.
Thank you to Illinois legislators that have continued to push forward and speak up to pass new laws that support the CAC/MDT model, improve prevention education, and increase the accountability of offenders.
Thank you to our funders; Department of Children and Family Services, Midwest Regional Children’s Advocacy Center, National Children’s Alliance, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (VOCA), Attorney General’s office, and our donors; corporate, foundation and individual. Please know that we never lose sight of the trust that you are putting into our organization.
And a special thank you to the CACI staff and Board of Directors. The support that you’ve given each other and me, is so noticed and appreciated. We continue to grow and thrive as an organization and it’s because of you!
We’ve seen some difficult times this past year, both individually and collectively. I wish for you each, an ease on these struggles as we enter 2022. As far as what I’d like to leave behind, I would say fear. We have been operating on so much fear; of each other, the unknown, and what could be next. I’m hoping that we see a change and lead with more love and compassion for each other and ourselves in the new year and beyond.
Wishing you all a Happy Holiday Season and Warmest Wishes for the New Year!
Kim
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EXPECTATIONS EXCEEDED! Thank you, is not enough!
Because of YOUR support, CACI reached and exceeded our #givingtuesday campaign goal of $2500, and raised over $4000!!
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CofC22 Registration is OPEN | |
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CACI is excited to bring you the 13th Annual Champions of Children Conference!
This 2-day, four separate track, hybrid experience, brings you nationally renowned experts in the field of child abuse, and is purposefully planned for multidisciplinary members and their specific discipline.
With both in-person & virtual experiences offered, we look forward to bringing you an excellent CofC22!!
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Please visit our website for information on registration, speaker bios and session descriptions, and more. | |
Crime Scene to Trial Training
December 14-16, 2021
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In partnership with Zero Abuse Project and the Child Advocacy Studies (CAST) program at University of Illinois Springfield, we trained 4 full MDTs representing Will County CAC, Children's Advocacy Center of Eastern Illinois, McLean (Livingston) County CAC, and the Kane County CAC.
Working as a team, the participants processed the crime scene, interviewed witnesses, interrogated suspects, conducted a forensic interview, applied for search warrants, and made decisions as to charges and presented as a team to the group.
Special thanks to CACI Statewide MDT Coordinator Mike Burns for taking on this project and to the incredible faculty of Illinois rockstar MDT members that he assembled to be our trainers. THANK YOU all for giving of your time and talents, you are appreciated 💙
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Gov. JB Pritzker signs bill into law to protect Illinois students against sexual abuse | Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed a bill into law called Faith's Law, which aims to protect children against grooming and increase resources for sexual abuse survivors. Pritzker signed HB 1975, also known as Faith's Law, into law on Friday. | | | |
Hugging is a Choice - Darkness to Light | The holidays are here - time for family get-togethers, friend drop-ins, and fun holiday traditions. This season can quickly become hectic, too. Work becomes busier, obligations to family and friends quickly pile up, and somehow you must find the perfect gift for your favorite people. | | | |
Increase in violent school threats on Yik Yak seen in Springfield and nationwide | Threats of violence against Sangamon County schools this week led to the arrests of five people under the age of 18, and now local officials are sounding the alarm about a social media site where three of those threats were made. | | | |
Illinois' minimum wage will increase by $1 on New Year's Day, Department of Labor says | SPRINGFIELD (WLS) -- The minimum wage in Illinois is set to increase to $12 per hour on New Year's Day, Department of Labor Public Information Officer Paul Cicchini said Monday. That's a $1 increase scheduled for Jan. 1. The department encouraged minimum-wage workers to "keep a close eye" on their paychecks in 2022. | | | |
14 things I would tell my younger self if I could go back in time | “If you could go back in time to earlier in your career, what would you tell your younger self?” This is when you know that you are getting old, when people ask you this question. It is a badge of hard-earned wisdom. | | | |
7 Meaningful Ways to Teach Kids How to Pay it Forward | Whenever a story of a stranger doing good goes viral, it can feel like a refreshing wave of hope for humanity. But these powerful stories of "paying it forward" don't need to always be large monetary gestures or even acts committed by adults. | | | |
The CACI Board of Directors is growing!
Please join us in welcoming these champions of children.
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Chris Hankins
Assistant Business Manager IBEW 309
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Amber Clayborne
Founder at Kerengende Foundation
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Sherri Lau, LCSW
Director,
AMITA Health’s Proviso CAC
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I got married this month! I hope everyone has a happy holiday season and takes some much needed time with friends, family, and/or dogs (or cats, I guess...).
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A board of directors provides strategic governance and planning that supports the vision, mission, and bottom line of nonprofits. While there are several common features of board membership across nonprofit organizations, there are some unique aspects for board members at victim service organizations. The OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center recently launched the New Board Member Orientation for Victim Service Organizations online training. This self-paced, 1-hour training welcomes and orients new board members to their roles and responsibilities in victim assistance organizations. Combined with onboarding processes, this online training will prepare new board members to govern with care and excellence.
| Check out this virtual training opportunity offered by Board by board certified child abuse pediatrician, Kathy Swafford. | |
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According to the Data collected from all the CACs across the state of Illinois, in the first quarter of the FY22 there have been 3,096 Forensic Interviews conducted by the CACs of Illinois. 98.5% of these interviews were conducted at the Children's Advocacy Center while 1.5% were conducted at another location
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VOCA FISCAL NEWS
Upcoming Due Dates:
CESF December Fiscal Expense PFR due
Wednesday, January 5, 2022
VOCA December Fiscal Expense PFR due
Monday, January 10, 2022
**If you are unable to submit your PFR by the due date, please contact me to request an extension. Late reports will be tracked and used when evaluating risk assessments.
SAM.gov - Updates to the Unique Entity Identifier/ DUNS Changes
Starting April 4, 2022, SAM.gov will no longer use DUNS numbers as your Unique Entity ID. An Unique Entity ID (SAM) will be issued through Sam.gov. If your entity is currently registered in SAM.gov, you will be assigned your Unique Entity ID (SAM).
Between now and April 3, 2022, entities registering in SAM.gov for the first time will still need to obtain and/or use a DUNS number to register their entity on SAM.gov.
As of April 4, 2022, entities registering in SAM.gov will be assigned their Unique Entity ID (SAM) within SAM.gov. UEI (DUNS) will no longer be used in SAM.gov for entity registration or reporting.
Continue to use your UEI (DUNS) for registration and reporting until April 3, 2022. Beginning April 4, 2022, you will only use the UEI (SAM).
Go to SAM.gov for more information and FAQs.
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CESF Quarterly Supplemental to PPR Report due Jan. 5th / VOCA Quarterly Reports are due Jan. 10th / If you have any questions about your quarterly reports or do not think you will get them submitted on time please let me know.
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Man brings grill and truckload of food to help tornado victims in Kentucky | A man is doing his part to help people affected by the tornadoes that ripped through the South and Midwest over the weekend. He drove to Mayfield, Kentucky to set up a grill and feed people. | | | |
6 Iconic Christmas Movie Houses You Can Visit in Real Life - Livability | From the "Home Alone" mansion to Susan's dream home in "Miracle on 34th Street," here's where you'll find the famous houses from your favorite Christmas movies. | | | | | | |
