Kane County Courts Receive $136K+ In Grant Funds
Kane County has received two separate grants from the Illinois Supreme Court, administered by the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, totaling $136,720. Each grant will support a different project: one will help establish the new Family Treatment Court, while the other will expand public access to court and legal resources through the Kane County Law Library and Self Help Legal Center.
The Family Treatment Court received a $126,500 grant to support its development and implementation. The funding will help provide staffing, coordination, treatment and other services for families involved in the court system. Through the program, the court and community partners will work together to address challenges affecting parents and children, with the goal of promoting stability and safe family outcomes. Judge M. Lark Cowart, who will oversee the new court, said, “Treatment courts have been proven effective, and we have an opportunity to bring that model to Kane County families struggling with substance use. Our goal is to provide an evidence-based program that addresses substance use while supporting parents in safely caring for their children as they engage in treatment."
The Kane County Law Library received a separate $10,220 grant to improve access to court services for people who do not speak English and bring resources into the communities where court users live. Law Library Director Halle Eichert said, "We are so grateful to once again be entrusted with grant awarded funds. With these funds we will continue our quest to better meet the legal needs of our evolving community." The grant will support translation of forms and documents, language-assistance technology, a chat program, legal self-help materials, and staff travel to community-based legal assistance programs.
Watch this short video to learn about Kane County Law Library services.