Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
FFY 2011 Annual Progress and Services Report
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the Illinois Department of Human Services, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the
Illinois Violence Prevention Authority. In the private sector major collaborative relationships
are with Voices for Illinois Children, Parents Care and Share of Illinois, Ounce of Prevention
Fund, Prevention First, and American Red Cross. PCA Illinois also works collaboratively with
the Healthy Families Illinois Provider Network, the Children and Adolescent Local Area
Network (LAN) structure, the Family Centered Services Provider Network, Family Violence
Coordinating Councils, Child Advocacy Centers, and Illinois Association of Court Appointed
Special Advocates (CASA).
Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center
Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley established the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center
(CCAC) in October 1998. The CCAC was founded as a multidisciplinary partnership between
a non-profit agency (Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center, Inc.) and the four government
agencies responsible for responding to reports of child abuse in Chicago – the Chicago Police
Department, DCFS, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, and Cook County Bureau of
Health Services.
Recognizing the need in Cook County, the CCAC developed the Pregnant and Parenting Teen
(PPT) Program to serve girls, age 16 and under, who have a history of sexual abuse or who are
pregnant or parenting as a result of sexual abuse in Cook County. The majority of the girls
served by the PPT Program are wards of the State. The vast majority of girls are African-
American. In special circumstances the CCAC accepts girls who are over 16-years-old. Girls
who are wards of the State are especially difficult to work with and engage in the program.
They come from abusive and difficult backgrounds and have spent much of their lives in the
foster care system. They have already seen many different social workers and therapists and
are resistant to another adult meddling in their lives. It takes time and constant attention to
build rapport and trust with these girls.
Children’s Home + Aid– Parents Care & Share (PC&S)
For nearly ten years, Children’s Home & Aid nurtured and helped develop a local network of
mutual parent support groups in Illinois in affiliation with the Parents Anonymous
organization. In 1999, Children’s Home & Aid opted to look at a new model of parent support.
Holding onto the principles of self-help, Children’s Home & Aid created a new program,
Parents Care & Share. Parents Care & Share helps to meet the changing needs of families and
its name more accurately reflects the work of the program. The name of the program, Parents
Care & Share, also creates a positive image that is welcoming to parents, grandparents and
foster parents — the many faces of the caretakers of children. Today, Parents Care & Share
works closely with the national membership of CIRCLE of Parents, a national network of
mutual self-help support groups.
In addition to the parent support group, the program also offers companion children’s programs
as needed for the children of parents who are attending group meetings. The children’s
programs are led by trained Children’s Program Specialists who provide structured activities
for the children and develop a nurturing atmosphere in which they work with children on self-esteem
and non-violent socialization skills. The support group facilitator and the children’s
program specialist work together to holistically meet the needs of the entire family with a goal
