Protecting Children
Child Support & Children's Programs
Protecting children is our top priority. Our office is dedicated to developing children’s programs that help improve and protect our youth. Read more about our programs and divisions and how we believe these programs help improve the overall quality of life in Madison County.
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Child Advocacy Center
For more information about the Child Advocacy Center, please visit www.madco-cac.org
Child Support Division
Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office represents and works with Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) to provide and assist parents with the establishment, modification and enforcement of child support orders in Madison County, Illinois. Through our partnership with HFS, we assist more than 12,000 parents to obtain and collect the child support that is owed for the benefit of their children.
Through the Child Support Enforcement Program, our office also assists parents in establishing paternity for their children. Establishment of paternity is the first step to establishing a child support order.
Custodial and non-custodial parents seeking to establish paternity, child support or to enforce child support orders may contact the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services at (800) 447-4278.
Child support collections in Illinois are handled by the Illinois State Disbursements Unit. The ILSDU handles the collection and distribution of child support payments for cases in the State of Illinois. Custodial and non-custodial parents having questions regarding payments can contact the ILSDU by calling (877) 225-7077.
For additional information about how the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office can assist you with issues pertaining to the support of your child(ren), please contact us at (618) 296-4211.
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Children's Justice
In April 2013, the Children's Justice Division was created in an effort to better coordinate responses to cases involving children. The division encompasses not only felony cases but also misdemeanor, juvenile delinquency, juvenile abuse and neglect and child support cases.
The Children's Justice Division also works with various agencies and groups outside of the State's Attorney's Office, including U.S. Attorney's Office (www.justice.gov/usao), Illinois Attorney General's Office (illinoisattorneygeneral.gov) and the Madison County Child Advocacy Center (www.madco-cac.org).
The Madison County Child Advocacy Center (CAC) provides professional intervention and supportive services to fight child abuse. Most importantly, the CAC provides a safe haven for children to talk about the physical or sexual abuse they may have experienced and to help in limiting the number of times a child has to be interviewed. Before the CAC opened, a child who was a victim or witnessed a violent crime would often be interviewed by 8 to 12 different people before the case went to trial. Because of the CAC, abused children no longer have to endure such a strenuous interviewing process and authorities are better able to prosecute abuse cases.
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Our Mission
The mission of the Madison County Child Advocacy Center is to provide a professional and child-friendly environment to assist in the investigation of allegations of child abuse, provide access to services and treatment for victims and their families and raise awareness within the community.
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Board of Directors:
The Advisory Board is the governing board for the CAC and is tasked with oversight, supervision and policy creation for the operation of the CAC. The Friends Board is a 501c3 non-profit created to support the mission of the CAC through fundraising and community awareness.