Will County Children's Advocacy Center

What Will County Children's Advocacy Center does

Will County Children's Advocacy Center (Will County CAC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1995 by then Will County State's Attorney James W. Glasgow, headquartered since April 2024 at 1206 Cedarwood Drive, Crest Hill, Illinois. It operates a Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) model that integrates law enforcement, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, prosecutors, medical personnel, forensic interviewers, family advocates, and trauma therapists to investigate and respond to severe physical abuse, sexual abuse, commercial exploitation, neglect, and exposure to violence against children ages 3–17 in Will County and adjacent counties. Service delivery is referral-only, with cases entered exclusively through law enforcement or DCFS, and all services are provided at no charge to children and families.

The center's core service lines are forensic interviewing (evidence-based, recorded, victim-sensitive interviews used in prosecution), family advocacy (navigation of legal and DCFS systems), trauma-focused therapy (individual and group, with telehealth fallback), forensic medical exams, a pet therapy program (Paws-4-Kids, featuring a certified therapy dog), specialized Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) services, and Darkness to Light® Stewards of Children training delivered free to adults. The model is deliberately non-technological at the clinical layer — built on accredited human protocols rather than software — but relies on supporting digital tools for telehealth and recorded-interview evidence capture.

Will County CAC is funded through a diversified mix of federal grants (notably Victims of Crime Act and Department of Justice), state and local public funding, corporate partnerships (AT&T, Leopardo, CITGO, First Secure Community Bank), an annual Men Who Cook culinary fundraiser ($40K–$100K historically), a Czerkies Memorial Golf Outing, and United Way of Will County designations. It employs 11–50 staff, has been continuously accredited by the National Children's Alliance since 2004 (with reaccreditation in 2016 and 2021), and reports it has served nearly 10,000 children and family members and contributed to prosecution of more than 2,000 child sex abuse cases over its history.

Name

Will County Children's Advocacy Center

Legal name

Will County Children's Advocacy Center

Website

https://willcountycac.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Advocacy Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGABAG

Child Protection & Child Rights

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

SECONDARYHLAFACAL

Behavioral Health for Children & Adolescents (Youth Services)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Healthcare Providers & Systems/Behavioral Health & Substance Use Treatment

SECONDARYBPAGAEAE

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPADAGAG

Child Rights & Protection

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Human Rights, Democracy & Governance

SECONDARYHLAFAJAF

Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine Practices

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Healthcare Providers & Systems/Women’s & Children’s Health Providers

Keywords

• Child abuse intervention
• Forensic interviewing services
• Trauma-focused therapy
• Victim advocacy services
• Multidisciplinary team coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Crest Hill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal and State Grants: Primary funding source including VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) grants and Department of Justice grants. Notable grants include $450,000 federal grant (2019), $604,000 in three grants (2020), and $425,000 grant from Department of Justice.
2. Private and Corporate Donations: Corporate partnership program with contributions from companies like Leopardo ($10,000), AT&T ($20,000 in 2021, $3,000 in 2017), and other local businesses. Individual donations accepted via PayPal and Venmo.
3. Annual Fundraising Events: Annual Men Who Cook culinary competition fundraiser typically raising approximately $40,000-$100,000. Czerkies Memorial Golf Outing and other community fundraising events.
4. United Way Partnership: Designated United Way of Will County partner agency receiving funding support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Will County Children's Advocacy Center is a nonprofit Children's Advocacy Center that provides a coordinated, multidisciplinary response to child abuse for victims ages 3-17. Its core offerings are forensic interviews, family advocacy, trauma-focused therapy, forensic medical exams, the Paws-4-Kids pet therapy program, child sexual abuse prevention training (Stewards of Children by Darkness to Light), and specialized services for child pornography and exploitation victims — all delivered free of charge to children and families referred by law enforcement or DCFS.

Product overview

Will County Children's Advocacy Center is a nonprofit organization established in 1995 that provides a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to investigating and responding to child abuse. The center offers an integrated suite of services including Forensic Interviews (conducted by trained interviewers in child-friendly environments), Family Advocacy (supporting families through legal and social service processes), Trauma-Focused Therapy (evidence-based mental health services), Medical Exams (forensic examinations by specialized personnel), Paws-4-Kids (pet therapy with certified therapy dogs), and Darkness to Light® Stewards of Children training (free child abuse prevention education). The center operates as a single unified program rather than a platform-with-modules architecture, coordinating law enforcement, DCFS investigators, medical personnel, prosecutors, forensic interviewers, family advocates, and trauma therapists to provide comprehensive services to abused children ages 3-17 in Will County, Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Paws-4-Kids: A pet therapy program that introduces therapy dogs to children who have experienced physical or sexual abuse to reduce anxiety and provide comfort during visits to the center.

Products and services

• Forensic Interviews Victim-sensitive forensic interviews conducted by trained forensic interviewers in a neutral, non-suggestive, and child-friendly environment at the center. Interviews are recorded and used in the prosecution of child abuse cases. Available free of charge to children referred by law enforcement or DCFS.
• Family Advocacy Support services provided to non-offending family members of child abuse victims, including education, information, and direction through the legal and DCFS processes following abuse disclosure. Provided free of charge.
• Trauma-Focused Therapy Evidence-based, trauma-focused mental health services including group and individual therapy provided by trauma therapists to child abuse victims and their non-offending family members. Services may be delivered via telehealth when necessary. Provided free of charge.
• Forensic Medical Exams Forensic medical examinations for child abuse victims conducted by specialized medical personnel to document injuries and collect evidence, coordinated through partner hospitals including Edward Hospital Care Center. Provided free of charge.
• Paws-4-Kids Pet Therapy Program Pet therapy program introducing certified therapy dogs (such as Jackson, a yellow Labrador Retriever) to reduce anxiety for child abuse victims during forensic interviews and provide comfort throughout the healing process.
• Stewards of Children Prevention Training (by Darkness to Light) Evidence-informed child sexual abuse prevention training that educates and empowers adults on how to prevent, recognize, and respond appropriately to child sexual abuse. Training is provided free of charge to community adults and organizations.
• Child Pornography and Sexual Exploitation Services (CSEC) Specialized support services and resources for child victims of sexual exploitation, child pornography, and child sex trafficking. Provided free of charge.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,000+ child sex abuse cases successfully prosecuted using CAC interviews
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Frankfort Mayor Keith OglecoreOthers · 13 May 2024Appointed to CAC Board of Directors in May 2024.
• Silver Cross Hospital CEO Michael MutterercoreOthers · 13 May 2024Appointed to CAC Board of Directors in May 2024.
• United Way of Will CountycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Designated partner agency receiving funding support. United Way workplace campaigns and volunteer support including painting of new facility by United Way volunteers.
• ITW Deltar FastenersminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017ITW employee volunteers painted the interior of the new Children's Advocacy Center building at 304 N. Scott St. in October 2017 as part of United Way community service.
• Will County Health DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 November 2016Dr. Rita Gray, Director of Clinical Training, serves on board. Department has used CAC as referral source for abused youth and has counseled families during crisis.
• Edward Hospital Care CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002Dr. Sangita Rangala began providing medical exams for children at Edward Hospital's specialized Care Center in 2002 and continues to provide those services today.
• Presence Saint Joseph Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995Sister Coletta Hennessy helped secure initial funding. Saint Joseph provided $45,000 grant which Illinois DCFS matched to establish the center in 1995. Hospital staff provided ongoing support and social accountability programs.
• Silver Cross HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995President and CEO Paul Pawlak donated 3,000 square feet of office space for the newly established center in 1995. Current CEO Michael Mutterer serves on board of directors as of 2024.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DuPage Children's Advocacy Center: Another NCA-accredited Illinois-based Children's Advocacy Center serving DuPage County child abuse victims with forensic interviews, advocacy, therapy, and MDT coordination — directly comparable mission, services, and operating model to Will County CAC.
• Chicago Children's Advocacy Center: Major Illinois-based NCA-accredited CAC serving Cook County child abuse victims with forensic interviewing, therapy, advocacy, and MDT coordination — same core services and referral model as Will County CAC, at larger urban scale.
• Kane County Children's Advocacy Center: Illinois-based NCA-accredited CAC providing forensic interviews, family advocacy, and trauma therapy to abused children in Kane County through a multidisciplinary team approach with law enforcement, DCFS, and prosecution.
• Philadelphia Children's Alliance: NCA-accredited CAC providing forensic interviews, therapy, and MDT coordination to abused children in Philadelphia. Direct functional peer at a larger urban scale, useful for benchmarking Will County CAC's operating model and outcomes.
• Children's Advocacy Center of Dallas County: NCA-accredited CAC serving Dallas County, Texas child abuse victims through forensic interviews, family advocacy, and trauma therapy. Comparable in mission, services, and MDT coordination structure; larger-scale peer for benchmarking.

Regional players

• CASA of Will County: Court Appointed Special Advocates program serving abused and neglected children in Will County. Operates as an adjacent child-welfare advocacy organization in the same geography, with shared board members (e.g., Herb Brooks Jr.) and overlapping referral ecosystem.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties: Will County-area youth mentoring nonprofit, where current Will County CAC Executive Director Lisa Morel Las previously served as CEO. Operates in the same geography with overlapping youth-development mission and donor base, though focused on mentoring rather than abuse response.

Broad incumbents

• National Children's Alliance: The national accrediting body and network of Children's Advocacy Centers in the U.S., of which Will County CAC is an accredited member since 2004. Provides accreditation standards, training, federal grant administration, and the broader CAC operating framework.
• Prevent Child Abuse America: National nonprofit focused on child abuse prevention through education, advocacy, and program development. Comparable in mission around protecting children from abuse but operates at a national policy and prevention-training scale rather than direct forensic service delivery.

Others

• Darkness to Light: National nonprofit that developed the Stewards of Children training program that Will County CAC delivers. They are the curriculum provider and ecosystem partner rather than a competing service provider, but comparable in child-abuse-prevention mission and nonprofit operating model.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/willcountycac
• Xx.com/willcountycac
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/willcountycac

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Will County Children's Advocacy Center