La Rabida Children’s Advocacy Center Celebrates 40 Years of Healing and Hope for more than 10,000 Local Children Impacted by Abuse and Trauma
La Rabida Children’s Advocacy Center Celebrates 40 Years of Healing and Hope for more than 10,000 Local Children Impacted by Abuse and Trauma
Chicago, IL — La Rabida Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) is proud to celebrate 40 years of providing compassionate, trauma-informed care to children and families impacted by child abuse and violence. Since its start in 1986, La Rabida CAC has served more than 10,000 children and has become a trusted resource for some of the region’s most vulnerable children, helping them find safety, support, and a path toward healing.
Today, La Rabida CAC is the third-busiest Children’s Advocacy Center among more than 41 CACs across Illinois, reflecting the significant community needs and the center’s long-standing commitment to high-quality, coordinated care. In 2025 alone, La Rabida CAC cared for more than 500 children who experienced abuse, neglect, or severe trauma.
La Rabida CAC serves 30 municipalities in Chicago’s south suburbs, a region disproportionately affected by poverty, community violence, and limited access to mental health resources. By offering services in a child-centered, welcoming environment, the center plays a critical role in reducing the trauma children experience during criminal and child protection investigations while ensuring they receive the care and support they need to heal.
“For 40 years, La Rabida CAC has been a place where children are believed, protected, and supported during some of the most difficult moments of their lives,” says center director Rachel McGinnis. “The impact of child abuse and trauma extends far beyond the individual child. It affects families, neighborhoods, and entire communities. By responding with compassion and collaboration, we help children begin to heal while strengthening the communities we serve.”
The center utilizes a multidisciplinary team approach, bringing together professionals from child protection, law enforcement, prosecution, medical, and mental health fields to ensure that children have to tell their story only once and that families are supported every step of the way.
Services provided by La Rabida Children’s Advocacy Center include:
- Forensic interviews conducted by specially trained interviewers
- Referrals to trauma-focused mental health therapy and counseling
- Family advocacy, education, and emotional support
- Coordination with law enforcement and child protective services
- Referrals for ongoing medical, legal, and social services
- Community and school training on child abuse prevention
“Our comprehensive behavioral health services focus on helping children process trauma, build resilience, and regain a sense of safety and control,” says Austa Murray, Executive Director of Behavioral Health & Community Programs at La Rabida. “We have seen how early trauma-informed intervention can change a child’s life.”
La Rabida CAC marks this milestone anniversary with a free, family-friendly Community Safety Block Party at its Forest Park location on Saturday, April 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., reinforcing its commitment to strengthening community partnerships and advocating for a future where every child can heal and grow in a safe community.
For more information about La Rabida Children’s Advocacy Center or to learn how to support its mission, visit www.larabida.org.
About La Rabida Children’s Hospital
La Rabida Children's Hospital is a freestanding pediatric hospital that has been serving children and their families in Chicagoland for nearly 130 years. The hospital provides specialized care to all children, including those living with medically complex conditions, disabilities, chronic illnesses, abuse, and trauma, regardless of their ability to pay. La Rabida is committed to delivering exceptional, family-centered care while advocating for the needs of vulnerable children in the Chicago community. For more information about La Rabida, please visit www.larabida.org.
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