There has been much activity at the 19^th Judicial Circuit. Circuit Judge Valerie Boettle Ceckowski announced that she is retiring from the bench on January 29, 2021, after 24 years of service. We have counted on her strong leadership, compassion and wisdom in her many years as chief judge of our juvenile court. Her dedication and passion for our children and families was clear as we watched her make countless difficult decisions in the hundreds of challenging cases before her. She has made a profound impact on innumerable children’s lives and their families in Lake County. We wish her the best in her retirement, she will be sorely missed.

We welcome Judge Jorge Ortiz who will be replacing Judge Ceckowski. He was chief judge of the 19th Judicial Circuit from 2016-2018 and been part of the the 19^th judicial circuit since 2002. We look forward to working with him.

Also, there has been a tremendous increase in cases entering the abuse and neglect court in the past few months. Our waitlist is steadily growing and we are addressing the demand by hiring more staff members. But we require your help. Our need for more volunteer advocates is now more urgent than ever. Please reach out to friends and relatives and help spread awareness of our need for more CASA volunteers. Together, I know we can serve all children waiting for a CASA.

Read the full article in the daily herald here.

In addition to all of the groups and businesses we thanked in our previous edition of the Child's Voice, we would also like to thank: Healthy Body Healthy Mind and Move Studio in Lincolnshire and Palatine for their support with hosting Giving Trees and collecting donations for CASA during the holiday season!

To CASA Tom for his amazing advocacy on behalf of his four CASA children. As two of the children have had placement disruptions due to behavior, Tom has shown both of these boys that he is there for them long term. Recently, Tom has been kept quite busy advocating for the family in the areas of housing, education, therapy, and behavioral services. He is an integral part of the decision making process, as the caseworker recognizes that Tom has the strongest bond with the children. In fact, Tom is the only party on the case that the oldest child will speak to willingly. 

To CASA Jim, a new advocate just starting his CASA journey with a pre-teen autistic boy. Jim was able to do a couple of socially distanced visits prior to new restrictions, which has allowed him to begin to develop a relationship with this child. His CASA child has been very open and they are enjoying their time getting to know one another. He was also able to prepare his first court report for a recent hearing informing the court on how well this boy has been doing.