BELLEVILLE/SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) announced today the expansion of the Domestic Violence Co-Location Program (DVCLP) into Sangamon and St. Clair counties. First launched in Winnebago and Lake counties in 2019 and expanded into Cook County in 2022, the DVCLP is an innovative and collaborative partnership between DCFS, domestic violence agencies and other community partners aimed at building DCFS’ capacity to effectively respond to and meet the needs of families experiencing domestic violence who are also involved with the child welfare system.
Under the partnership, a domestic violence advocate employed by Sojourn Shelter and Services will be housed in the DCFS Springfield field office in Sangamon County, and an advocate employed by the Violence Prevention Center of Southwestern Illinois will be housed in the Belleville field office in St. Clair County. These advocates will consult with child welfare professionals as they work with families who have experienced or are currently experiencing domestic violence; engage directly with family members, including the adult and child survivors of domestic violence and the parent using coercive control and violence; and help link families to services and supports in their communities.
This expansion builds upon the department’s existing DVCLP program, launched in 2019 through collaborations between the department’s Waukegan field office and A Safe Place, and Rockford field office and Remedies Renewing Lives, supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Quality Improvement Center on Domestic Violence in Child Welfare. The program expanded into Cook County in 2022 through partnerships with Family Rescue and the DCFS office at 6201 S. Emerald in Chicago, and Sarah’s Inn and the DCFS offices now at 2020 W. Roosevelt Road in Chicago and 4415 Harrison Street in Hillside while also serving the DCFS offices of 1026 S. Damen and 1911 S. Indiana in Chicago.
“Domestic violence affects adults and children from all walks of life in communities all across our state, and breaking the cycle requires wrapping families with a network of supports,” said DCFS Director Heidi E. Mueller. “The Domestic Violence Co-Location Program has been successful in helping parent and child domestic violence survivors remain safely together in communities in northern Illinois, and I am thrilled that we are expanding the program into central and southern Illinois. Through this partnership with the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence, Ascend Justice, Sojourn Shelter and Services and the Violence Prevention Center of Southwestern Illinois, more families will have access to the resources and support they need to heal and create safe and nurturing homes for their children.”
“Ascend Justice is proud to be a partner of the Domestic Violence Co-Location Program (DVCLP). We are thrilled that the DVCLP has been able to expand to a total of six sites across Illinois in all four DCFS regions, and we look forward to continued expansion that allows the DVCLP to serve the entire state,” said Sara Block, managing director of advocacy and partnerships, Ascend Justice. “Ascend Justice is grateful to the Family and Youth Services Bureau of the US Department of Health and Human Services for funding the expansion and evaluation of the DVCLP. Ascend Justice also appreciates DCFS for its commitment to this collaboration, the domestic violence agencies who directly carry out the work of the DVCLP and the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence and The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence for their dedicated contributions. Through the DVCLP, DCFS and the domestic violence community in Illinois have the opportunity to be a leader for other states in meeting the unique needs of children and families.”
“The Violence Prevention Center of Southwestern Illinois (VPC) is pleased to partner with Illinois DCFS and Ascend Justice to expand the Domestic Violence Co-Location Program (DVCLP) into St. Clair County,” said Darlene Jones, executive director, Violence Prevention Center of Southwestern Illinois. “This partnership between the VPC and the DCFS Belleville office will create a unique opportunity to build bridges between systems to keep children safe while supporting families so they can heal.”
“Sojourn is excited to collaborate with Illinois DCFS to expand the Domestic Violence Co-Location Program (DVCLP),” said Sojourn Shelter & Services, Inc. CEO Angela Bertoni. “Our staff is thrilled to provide domestic violence education to DCFS staff and serve as a link to direct services and advocacy for adults and children impacted by domestic violence in central Illinois.”
The DVCLP is funded through a grant from the Family and Youth Services Bureau of the US Department of Health and Human Services and is administered by Ascend Justice. In 2023, the DVCLP served 593 families 1,577 individuals and 958 children in Cook, Winnebago and Lake counties.
About the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS):?Our vision is for every child and youth in Illinois to grow and thrive in a loving family. To achieve this goal, DCFS promotes the safety and well-being of children, youth,?and families by responding to reports of suspected child abuse and neglect and providing family-centered care and connection to resources to strengthen families and keep children safely at home. Our values –?family focused, integrity, respect, empathy and equity – are at the forefront of every decision we make to ensure children are safe and families have the resources they need to succeed. To make an anonymous report of suspected child abuse or neglect, visit childabuse.illinois.gov.
About Ascend Justice: Ascend Justice is a mission-driven nonprofit legal aid organization. Our mission is to empower individuals and families impacted by gender-based violence or the child welfare system—we strive to help people achieve safety and stability through holistic legal advocacy and system reform. Learn more at ascendjustice.org.
About the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV): ICADV is a statewide membership organization working to eliminate domestic violence in Illinois and to create a more just, accepting and safe society for everyone. ICADV serves over 50 statewide agencies who provide direct service to survivors and their dependent children. Together with its member organizations, ICADV aims to increase access to ever-improving services for survivors of all backgrounds by advocating for strong policies that keep survivors safer and foster accountability with those who use violence and coercive control. ICADV educates the public on the root causes of domestic violence and focuses on preventing the cycle of violence from continuing.
About The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence (The Network): The Network is a group of 40+ member organizations dedicated to improving the lives of those impacted by gender-based violence through education, public policy advocacy and connecting community members with direct service providers. The Network leads collaborative work to imagine and realize radical ways to respond to and end gender-based violence, focusing on the intersections between systemic violence and gender-based violence. The Network also operates the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline.
