On Thursday, CASA Kane County announced the launch of a cross-county advisory council meant to reduce the number of children who enter foster care, according to a news release from the organization.
CASA Kane County is a nonprofit that advocates for children in foster care through Court Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA, volunteers, the group has said. The nonprofit trains and supervises volunteers who then represent children in foster care in juvenile courts, according to its website.
The formation of the council is in response to a major increase in children entering the foster care system, the news release said. In 2024, CASA Kane County said it served nearly 700 children, roughly double the number it served in 2019, according to the release.
CASA Kane County is still adding organizations to the council, so the full list is not yet finalized, Executive Director Jim Di Ciaula said on Thursday. Some of the organizations they’ve already brought on board include Rush Copley Pediatrics, Northwestern Medicine, the Kane County Health Department, Waubonsee Community College, Aurora University, Geneva counseling provider TriCity Family Services and Aurora and Elgin police.
Di Ciaula announced the newly-formed advisory council at the organization’s annual “Hands Around the Courthouse” event in Geneva last week, saying they would soon be launching a pilot program focused on assisting children 14 years old and older.
The initiative is meant to focus on prevention, education and early intervention, according to Thursday’s press release. One of its early priorities is connecting existing programs and services to “reduce the complexity and simplify ease of access,” Di Ciaula said in the release.
“This isn’t a Band-Aid solution,” CASA Kane County board member and volunteer Laura Oswald said in the release. “This is about truly changing the landscape for generations to come.”
The initiative is in line with the Department of Children and Family Services’ statewide goals of focusing on families and encouraging community-based support, the press release said.
“When all partners in the child welfare system work together, we become stronger and are able to do more to ensure young people can grow and thrive,” Illinois DCFS Director Heidi Miller said in the release.
The council has outlined short- and long-term goals, the release said. It is currently seeking more community leaders, identifying what resources are available and finding gaps in service in the community.
