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Authorizing Receipt of the Court Improvement Program Grant to Establish and Implement the Kane County Family Treatment Court
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WHEREAS, Kane County has developed and maintained multiple specialty/problem-solving courts that focus on treatment, supervision, rehabilitation, and positive outcomes rather than traditional adversarial prosecution, including Drug Rehabilitation Court, Veterans Court, DUI Treatment Court, and Treatment Alternative Court; and
WHEREAS, Kane County has provided treatment court services for approximately 25 years and has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to utilizing evidence-based, collaborative approaches to address the underlying issues that contribute to court involvement; and
WHEREAS, while Kane County's existing specialty courts serve individuals within specific populations, there is a significant need for a specialized court model that addresses the needs of the entire family unit, particularly families experiencing overlapping challenges involving substance use disorders, mental health, child abuse or neglect, domestic instability, and other circumstances that can place children at risk of removal from their homes; and
WHEREAS, the establishment of a Family Treatment Court (FTC) will provide Kane County with a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach in which the Court, child welfare agencies, treatment providers, attorneys, and other community partners work collaboratively to address the needs of parents and children as a family unit; and
WHEREAS, a Family Treatment Court will strengthen families by addressing the underlying causes of court involvement, increasing access to appropriate treatment and services, improving parental stability and accountability, supporting safe reunification when appropriate, reducing unnecessary out-of-home placements, and promoting improved long-term outcomes for children and families; and
WHEREAS, the Kane County Judiciary previously applied for and received a Court Improvement Program planning grant from the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) in the amount of $10,820.00 to initiate the planning and development of a Family Treatment Court; and
WHEREAS, the planning and start-up phase has demonstrated the need for additional resources to transition the Family Treatment Court from the development and planning stage into an established and fully operational court program capable of serving eligible families in Kane County; and
WHEREAS, the continued development and implementation of the Family Treatment Court requires dedicated personnel to coordinate the numerous agencies, service providers, court professionals, and participants involved in the program, monitor participant progress and compliance, coordinate treatment and other supportive services, maintain program documentation and data, facilitate communication among multidisciplinary team members, and provide the ongoing administrative and operational support necessary for the Court to function effectively; and
WHEREAS, the requested funding will allow Kane County to build upon the investment made during the initial planning phase and establish the personnel, infrastructure, services, and operational capacity necessary to implement and sustain the Family Treatment Court; and
WHEREAS, investing in the Family Treatment Court will support Kane County's ongoing commitment to improving outcomes for children and families, reducing the need for costly and disruptive interventions when safely avoidable, strengthening parental capacity, and promoting healthier and more stable families and communities; and
WHEREAS, the Kane County Judiciary has been awarded an additional Court Improvement Program (CIP) Grant through the Administrative Office of Illinois Courts (AOIC) in the amount of $126,500.00 to continue the establishment and implementation of the Kane County Family Treatment Court; and
WHEREAS, the budget amounts associated with the grant award need to be reflected in the appropriate revenue and expense General Ledger accounts.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Kane County Board hereby authorizes the Chairman thereof to accept the $126,500.00 Court Improvement Program Grant from the Administrative Office of Illinois Courts and authorizes the Kane County Judiciary and the Office of the Chief Judge to utilize the grant funds for the continued establishment, implementation, staffing, administration, and operation of the Kane County Family Treatment Court and to complete all necessary expenditures consistent with the purposes and requirements of the grant.
Line Item: 001.240.000.33902
Line Item Description: $126,500.00
Line Item: 001.240.240.55000
Line Item Description: Miscellaneous Contractual Expense $126,500.00
Was Personnel/Item/Service approved in original budget or a subsequent budget revision? Yes
Are funds currently available for this Personnel/Item/Service in the specific line item? Yes
If funds are not currently available in the specified line item, where are the funds available?
N/A
Passed by the Kane County Board on October 13, 2026.
____________________________ ____________________________
John A. Cunningham, MBA, JD, JD Corinne M. Pierog MA, MBA
Clerk, County Board Chairman, County Board
Kane County, Illinois Kane County, Illinois
Vote: