CENTER OF HEALING

Program Overview

Children affected by intergenerational cycles of trauma often navigate fragmented systems, leaving gaps in protection and support. The Center of Healing is a statewide initiative designed to create long-term, systemic change for children and families. Guided by the CHILD Framework, the initiative combines trauma-informed, healing-focused, and child-centered strategies to equip professionals, organizations, and systems to make informed decisions that promote safety, stability, and lasting well-being.

In its early launch, the initiative is collaborating with key partners, including accredited training organizations, domestic violence allies, mental health providers, and child advocacy groups, to develop specialized, role-based modules. Together, we aim to strengthen professional capacity, foster cross-system collaboration, and ensure that children’s needs are addressed holistically across all systems.

Through coordinated efforts, evidence-based practices, and a shared vision for child safety and healing, the Center of Healing initiative aims to break cycles of trauma, improve systemic outcomes, and make healing the norm—not the exception—for every child in Illinois.

Systemic Challenges and Vulnerable Children

When children enter the court system or are placed in foster care, they face complex circumstances that can be difficult to navigate. New relationships, environments, and rules create significant change and uncertainty during critical developmental periods. Decisions made in courtrooms and by state agencies have a lasting impact, yet these systems are not always structured to address the full scope of children’s needs.

Many children entering these systems have already experienced adversity, including neglect, exposure to domestic violence, or other forms of trauma. System interactions, whether inadvertently or not, are often constrained by pressured timelines, procedural checklists, and a focus on metrics, which can leave critical issues unaddressed and sometimes worsen outcomes for children.

Let’s look at the facts:

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Nearly 40% of child abuse cases in Illinois involve parental substance use.
Over 50% of child custody disputes involve concerns about substance use.
Alcohol or drug use was noted in 27% of child deaths reported by DCFS in 2020.

TRAUMA-DRIVEN OUTCOMES

Up to 90% of justice-involved youth in the U.S. have experienced traumatic events, including abuse, neglect, or exposure to violence.
In Illinois, 117,323 children were involved in abuse or neglect cases in FY25. Tragically, 157 children died despite contact with DCFS, including five with open, active cases, highlighting the urgent need for systemic improvements that strengthen safety, stability, and well-being.
Exposure to trauma increases the likelihood of system involvement, behavioral health challenges, and ongoing victimization.

Buidling Professional Capacity

The Center of Healing is built on collaboration, expertise, and the CHILD Framework to promote effectiveness and sustainability across systems that serve children.

In this early stage, the initiative is partnering with organizations that provide domestic violence and trauma-informed training to develop specialized, role-based modules for professionals, including:

Courtroom professionals — to support trauma-informed, healing-focused, child-centered decision-making.
Guardian ad Litems (GALs) — to strengthen advocacy for a child’s safety, stability, and well-being.
Social workers and first responders — to assess risk, navigate complex family dynamics, and coordinate effectively across systems.
Other key professionals — including attorneys, mental health providers, and educators involved in children’s care.

These modules are in development to equip professionals to make decisions and interventions that promote long-term safety, stability, and healing. Once implemented, they will help ensure sustainable solutions that address root causes, break cycles of trauma, and create lasting safety, stability, and well-being.

Cultivating Systems That Heal

Beyond training, the Center of Healing serves as a statewide hub in Illinois for supporters and collaborators across systems who share a common vision: making healing the norm, not the exception, for every child in every system.

Even at this early stage, the initiative is connecting professionals, advocates, and organizations to share expertise, resources, and best practices. Early partners will help shape statewide practices that prioritize children and healing, with the goal of breaking intergenerational cycles of trauma.

As an independent initiative, the Center of Healing ensures that efforts remain neutral and coordinated, building unified systems that heal and allowing knowledge and insights to flow consistently across sectors without organizational bias.

Program Objectives

The Center of Healing pilot program is designed to create lasting, systemic change for children and families across Illinois. Our objectives are to:

Advance trauma-informed, healing-focused, child-centered practices across the systems that touch children’s lives.

Support long-term, sustainable solutions that address broader public health and safety concerns.

Break intergenerational cycles of trauma, creating safer, more stable, and nurturing communities.

Empower partners and sponsors to contribute expertise, resources, and funding that directly impact children’s safety and well-being.

Foster cross-system collaboration among professionals, advocates, and organizations.

Join Us in Building Lasting Change

Supporting the Center of Healing offers partners and sponsors an opportunity to impact the lives of children across Illinois. By contributing expertise, resources, or funding, partners help:

Advance trauma-informed, healing-focused, child-centered practices across the systems that touch children’s lives.
Break intergenerational cycles of trauma, creating safer, more stable, and nurturing communities.
Support long-term solutions that address broader public health and safety concerns.
Foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing among professionals, advocates, and organizations.
Demonstrate social responsibility, enhancing organizational reputation while contributing to child and community well-being.

By joining in this early stage, partners help shape a unique, independent initiative dedicated to children in Illinois, leveraging collective expertise, shared vision, and coordinated action to create lasting, systemic change.

Together, we can make healing the norm, not the exception, for every child in every system.

PROBONO

Offer your expertise and skills to champion the rights of children. Legal, research, and other professional services are invaluable in our mission to protect and nurture every child in every system.

CORPORATE & PARTNER SPONSORSHIP

Strengthen your company’s reputation and commitment to a thriving corporate culture by directly impacting the lives of Illinois’ children through program and event sponsorship.

EMPLOYER MATCHING

Does your company have an employer matching policy? Through corporate matching, your employees can multiply your donation to Unity for Children.

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