Justice Committee approves IGA with Ford County, accepts $42,000 victims grant for Children's Advocacy Center

The Justice Committee approved an intergovernmental agreement between McLean County and Ford County to expand the Court Appointed Special Advocates program and accepted a Violent Crime Victims Assistance (VCVA) grant of $42,000 to fund personnel for the Children's Advocacy Center.

The approvals, taken by voice vote during the committee meeting, clear two administrative steps needed for the center's expansion and for funding a forensic interviewer. Committee members moved and seconded the motions and the chair announced the ayes carried.

Miss Pagan Vigan, staff member, told the committee the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) is modeled after a prior pact between Logan County and McLean County and that the center has already received this year’s grant funding for the expansion to Ford County. "We have already received the grant funding for this year for the expansion to Ford County," she said, and added the IGA is one of the first formal steps required as the center goes through the regular process.

On the VCVA grant the committee was told the award stabilizes funding at $42,000 from FY '25 to FY '26 and that the money will be used for personnel costs for a forensic interviewer. Miss Pagan Vigan described the grant as an Attorney General award for FY '26 and said the funds will support staffing needs tied to the center's expanded caseload.

Motion details recorded in the meeting: the IGA motion was moved by member Hansen and seconded by member Reeves; the VCVA grant motion was moved by member Rosemond and seconded by member Reeves. The committee approved both items by voice vote; the transcript records no roll-call tally.

The approvals allow the Children's Advocacy Center to proceed with planned expansion steps and use the VCVA funds for the named personnel purpose. The committee received no further public comment on these items.