SPRINGFIELD – Children taken into protective custody under suspicion of abuse could soon take part in a forensic interview without parental consent as a result of legislation by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood).

House Bill 909, signed by the governor on Friday, addresses issues in cases where an abused minor’s parents do not wish for the child to participate in a criminal investigation that may implicate a family member or close friend.

“No one should feel obligated to protect their abuser when participating in a criminal investigation,” Lightford said. “Unfortunately, our children are often put in a position where they do not feel empowered to report their abuser and we’re hoping to bring that to an end.”

A forensic interview is an interview between a trained forensic interviewer and a child in which the interviewer obtains information in an unbiased and fact-finding manner, with the goal of supporting accurate and fair decision-making by caseworkers in the criminal justice and child protection systems.

The measure goes into effect on January 1, 2020.

Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance (CAFHA) in partnership with project lead, Enterprise Community Partners, is working with several local governments and public housing authorities within Cook County to conduct a Cook County Regional Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH). Through the Community Convener Grant awards, they seek expertise from directly impacted populations regarding ways to: address housing discrimination and segregation; advance affordable housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income households; create equitable opportunities to live, work, and flourish in any community; remedy policies and practices that lock segregation in place and create unjust disparities in life outcomes.

Who Should Apply?

Nonprofit organizations that work directly with one or more of the following populations within Cook County:

• Housing Choice Voucher holders and/or public housing residents
• People with disabilities
• Populations facing housing instability or homelessness
• Individuals living in disinvested areas and racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty (R/ECAPs)
• Populations with limited English proficiency
• People with arrest and conviction backgrounds

Community Convener Grant Awards

As part of the community engagement, “Community Convener Grant” awards will total $56,000.00, allowing for up to 8 to 10 awards across Cook County to support the targeted approach. These awards are meant to foster collaboration with and empowerment of key stakeholder groups.​

Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) hosted her 10th Annual “We Love Our Men” Prostate Exams for Father’s Day Event on June 15.

Lightford and 13 volunteers from the 4th District Women Committee visited 20 local barbershops across the 4th District distributing information on prostate cancer and handing out giveaways.

Four hundred bags with prostate cancer awareness information and gifts for participants.

The event was hosted in partnership with Loyola Medical Center and Loretto Hospital staff that accompanied volunteers to discuss the importance of prostate cancer awareness and early detection.

Learn more about prostate cancer here: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-cancer.html

View more photos on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2ZPP1fS