The McLean County Justice Committee on Jan. 7 approved an emergency appropriation of $77,930 and an amendment to the Neutral Site Custody Exchange and Supervised Visitation Center agreement with Brightpoint, the county’s contracted provider for supervised visitation and custody exchanges.

Will Scanlon of the Circuit Court said the appropriation bridges the period from Feb. 1 through Dec. 31, 2026, after a federal grant that had supported the program was terminated effective Dec. 31. Scanlon said the court’s filing-fee-supported fund had an accumulated unencumbered balance of roughly $115,000 to $120,000 and that annual filing-fee revenues generate about $42,000 to $45,000. He said the program’s annualized cost is about $106,000.

"Since 2013, we have had a contract with Brightpoint for these services," Scanlon said, noting the program serves families in divorce, child-support and orders-of-protection cases and that many users are referred directly by the court.

Committee members asked for clarifications about the fund and future funding plans. Scanlon said the remaining balance and the revenues expected in 2026 and 2027 should carry the program into mid-to-late 2027, after which the court will seek support from the Behavioral Health sales-tax Funding Advisory Committee for ongoing funding.

Board member Burns asked how much the filing fees contribute. Scanlon replied, "The filing fees generate between $42,000 and $45,000 a year," and said Brightpoint previously expended roughly $28,000 to $32,000 annually on court-supported services.

The committee also acknowledged a scrivener's correction to the ordinance paperwork: the amended amount in the proposed ordinance should read $77,930. The House-motion to place the amendment on the floor was seconded and the committee voted in favor; the measures passed without recorded opposition.

Next steps: the budget amendment takes effect as approved and the contract amendment extends Brightpoint’s obligations through the end of 2026. The court plans to request additional funding from the Funding Advisory Committee for FY2027 and beyond.