The Law and Judiciary Committee on Aug. 5 approved a resolution renewing Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding to the Lake County Children's Advocacy Center in the amount of $219,591.

The funds cover the grant period from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, and are reimbursed throughout the year. The funding will principally support the center’s mental-health programming, with a smaller portion allocated to special on-call pay for staff who respond to after-hours forensic interviews and victim advocacy.

Sarah Hammock, program director at the Children's Advocacy Center, told the committee the award is a continuation grant and that the center “received the same amount as the previous fiscal year of $219,591.” She said the mental-health services supported by the grant include crisis intervention, individual therapy and group sessions provided by one therapist from the Lake County Health Department and one from Youth and Family Counseling, with supplemental providers used as needed.

Hammock also described the on-call pay: the center intends to compensate a rotating team composed of a victim advocate, a forensic interviewer and an assistant state's attorney from a specialized victims unit for on-call forensic interviews between Friday evenings and Monday mornings. She added that an on-site medical clinic “did have a soft launch in June,” and that 24/7 accessibility could increase after-hours case volume.

Chair Cunningham called for a voice vote after the presentation; the committee recorded “ayes” and no opposition and approved the resolution.

Why it matters: VOCA funding is a principal revenue source for many local children's advocacy centers and directly supports post-trauma mental-health services for child victims and family members. The committee's action preserves the center’s current staffing plan and on-call response model for the coming fiscal year.

What’s next: The appropriation is structured as a reimbursement grant; the center will submit expenditures for reimbursement during the grant year.