Welcome to the Champaign County Children's Advocacy Center

Contacts

Address:
102 E. Main Street, Urbana, IL
Phone Number:
217-384-3766
Email:
[email protected]

Welcome to the Champaign County Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) website. We are grateful to serve children and families throughout Champaign and Ford Counties and hope this resource provides you with helpful information, support, and a clear understanding of who we are and the work we do.

Who We Are

Established in 2000, the Champaign County Children’s Advocacy Center was created through the commitment of local professionals who recognized the need for a coordinated, child-centered response to allegations of child abuse. Over the years, the CAC has continued to evolve to meet the changing needs of children, families, and our community.

Today, the CAC serves as a safe, neutral, and child-focused setting where professionals work together to respond to allegations of child sexual abuse and serious physical abuse. Our multidisciplinary approach brings together child protective services, law enforcement, prosecution, victim advocacy, healthcare, and mental health professionals to help ensure that children and families receive a coordinated and compassionate response.

The CAC is proudly located in the Scott Bennett Administrative Center at 102 E. Main Street in Urbana, Illinois.

Our Child-Centered Approach

At the heart of everything we do is a simple principle: Children deserve to be heard, believed, supported, and protected.

The CAC provides a safe, welcoming, and developmentally appropriate environment where children can speak with specially trained professionals about their experiences. By coordinating the efforts of multiple agencies and professionals, we work to reduce the number of times a child must repeat their story and minimize the additional trauma that can occur when navigating systems designed to help them.

Our goal is not simply to respond to allegations of abuse. It is to create an environment where children and their non-offending caregivers feel supported throughout the process.

What We Do

The mission of the CAC is to provide a timely, comprehensive, and multidisciplinary response to allegations of child sexual abuse and serious physical abuse.

Our services include:

• Forensic interviews conducted by trained professionals in a child-focused environment
• Multidisciplinary team coordination to facilitate communication and collaboration among involved agencies
• Family advocacy and support for children and non-offending caregivers
• Medical referrals when specialized medical evaluation is needed
• Mental health referrals and services, including paid mental health services for every child and non-offending caregiver referred to the CAC
• Coordination and support related to legal proceedings
• Education, training, and community outreach focused on child abuse prevention, recognition, and response

Through these services, the CAC helps bring the right professionals to the table while keeping the needs and well-being of the child at the center of the process.

Our Team

The work of the CAC is made possible by a dedicated team committed to serving children and families with professionalism, compassion, and care.

Dr. Lisa Liggins-Chambers, Executive Director
Provides organizational leadership and oversees the CAC's operations, partnerships, programs, and continued development. Link to Bio

Mary Ross, Forensic Interviewer/MDT Coordinator
Conducts forensic interviews with children and coordinates the multidisciplinary team response to CAC cases. Link to Bio

Julia Carls, Family Advocate
Provides support, resources, advocacy, and assistance to children and their non-offending caregivers throughout their involvement with the CAC. Link to Bio

Scott Allen, Deputy Administrator
Supports the administration and daily operations of the CAC while helping ensure that the Center's programs and services operate effectively. Link to Bio

Lando Calrissian, Emotional Support Dog

Together, our team works alongside our multidisciplinary partners to ensure that every child receives a coordinated, trauma-informed, and compassionate response.

Our Commitment

Every child who walks through our doors deserves to feel safe. Every family deserves support. And every allegation of abuse deserves a thoughtful, coordinated response.

At the Champaign County Children’s Advocacy Center, the child comes first.

We are honored to serve our community and remain committed to creating a safer, more supportive response for children and families when they need it most.