The Children’s Rooms provide free, on-site child care for children whose parents or guardians must attend court to protect children from being exposed to potentially traumatic courtroom testimony or behavior.
The rooms are welcoming environments that are cheerfully decorated and child-centered. Employees are experienced professionals in early childhood education, early childhood development, social work, etc., who are trained to respond compassionately to children whose experience with the court can involve highly charged emotional issues. Volunteers and interns assist staff in the supervision of the children.
An array of books, toys, games, movies and other activities give children of different ages the freedom of just being children as their parents or guardians attend court matters.
Every child admitted to the Children’s Rooms is provided with routine childcare services. This includes age and developmentally appropriate activities. The use of imaginative play, conversation, art and other forms of self-expression diverts attention to a more positive frame of mind. Snacks are provided based on the dietary needs of the child.
The Children’s Rooms also benefit parents and guardians and the court system as follows:
- Parents or guardians are able to focus solely on legal matters. Please note - these rooms are not available for the children of jurors or court employees.
- The judiciary and court employees are better able to address cases that involve children without their presence in court.
- Parents or guardians have peace of mind knowing they do not have to leave their children unsupervised in corridors of the courthouse.
Important Location Information
Each location has its own acceptable age range for children and General Rules. A Registration Form (same for all locations) is provided below as well.
NOTE: The Children's Room in the Leighton Criminal Courthouse is currently closed.
Chicago Locations
Richard J. Daley Center, Room 1319
(312) 603-6252
Important Notes for Parents/Caregivers:
- Accepts children ages 2 to 12
- General Rules of the Daley Center Children's Room (in English and Spanish)
- Registration Form (in English and Spanish)
Services are provided to families involved in all court matters heard in the Richard J. Daley Center.
The Marriage and Family Counseling Center (for Domestic Relations Division Mediation) is located on the 10th Floor of the
George W. Dunne Cook County Office Building, in Suite 1000
(312) 603-1544
Important Notes for Parents/Caregivers:
- Accepts children ages 2 to 18
- General Rules of the Marriage and Family Counseling Center Children's Room (in English and Spanish)
- Registration Form
This Children’s Room at the Marriage and Family Counseling Center serves families involved in divorce and custody disputes as well as in child support cases and DNA testing. Parents participating in Focus on Children Classes may also use this Children's Room, if there is no other resource for childcare, as well as prospective guardians visiting the Guardianship Assistance Desk for Minors.
Additionally, children involved in emergency intervention cases may be subject to court-ordered observation by a Marriage and Family Counseling mediator as they play and interact with parents and siblings.
Domestic Violence Courthouse, Room 1800
(312) 325-9110
Important Notes for Parents/Caregivers:
- Accepts children between the ages of infants and 16
- General Rules of the Domestic Violence Courthouse Children's Room (in English and Spanish)
- Registration Form (in English and Spanish)
Children enjoy a safe, relaxing, fun and educational environment while caregivers file orders of protection and/or attend to other court matters.
Cook County Juvenile Center, Main Floor G013S
(312) 433-5248
Important Notes for Parents/Caregivers:
- Accepts children ages 2 to 12
- General Rules of the Cook County Juvenile Center Children's Room (in English and Spanish)
- Registration Form (in English and Spanish)
- Facilitation of sibling and family visits are allowed at this location. Supervisions is conducted by a community social service agency. Children from infant to 18 are accepted for sibling and family visits.
Children involved in child protection cases enjoy a soothing environment that also stimulates their creativity. Children are captivated by the live dove, fish and dog. Waiting areas also provide activities in play spaces for children as their parents or caregivers wait for their court cases to be called.
The Children's Room at the Juvenile Center is also a choice location for family visits that arranged by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and other social service agencies. Appointments must be made in advance to use this children’s room for such visitations.
Suburban Locations
Skokie Courthouse, Room 155B
(847) 470-7536 or (847) 470-7489
Important Notes for Parents/Caregivers:
- Accepts children between the ages of infant and 16
- General Rules of the Skokie Courthouse Children's Room (in English and Spanish)
- Registration Form (in English and Spanish)
This children’s room provides childcare services in a secure environment while caregivers conduct court business.
Rolling Meadows Courthouse, Room 221
(847) 818-3198
Important Notes for Parents/Caregivers:
- Accepts children between the ages of infant and 16
- General Rules of the Rolling Meadows Courthouse Children's Room (in English and Spanish)
- Registration Form (in English and Spanish)
This children’s room provides educational childcare services in a secure environment while caregivers attend to court matters.
Maywood Courthouse, Room 200
(708) 865-5951
Important Notes for Parents/Caregivers:
- Accepts children between the ages of infant and 16
- General Rules of the Maywood Courthouse Children's Room (in English and Spanish)
- Registration Form (in English and Spanish)
The Children’s Room at the Maywood Courthouse provides a safe, relaxing, fun and educational environment.
Bridgeview Courthouse, Room 235
(708) 974-7023 or 6086
Important Notes for Parents/Caregivers:
- Accepts children between the ages of infant and 16
- General Rules of the Bridgeview Courthouse Children's Room (in English and Spanish)
- Registration Form (in English and Spanish)
Markham Courthouse, Main Floor
(708) 232-4282
Important Notes for Parents/Caregivers:
- Accepts children between the ages of 2 to 12
- General Rules of the Markham Courthouse Children's Room (in English and Spanish)
- Registration Form (in English and Spanish)
The K. C. Conlon Children’s Room offers a relaxing, fun and educational environment for children while caregivers attend to court business.
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History of the Children's Rooms
The Circuit Court of Cook County first recognized the need to make a child’s visit to court a more positive experience more than 30 years ago with the opening of the Rhoda S. Bresler Child’s Room in the now Richard J. Daley Center in April 1973. The room was a supervised waiting area for parents with civil cases and was named in honor of the child advocate who helped to organize it.
Since then, the program has expanded and there are currently nine (9) Children’s Rooms in court facilities throughout Cook County. They are:
- The Rhoda S. Bresler Children’s Room in the Richard J. Daley Center at 50 W. Washington St. in Chicago opened in 1973.
- The Children’s Room in the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center at 1100 South Hamilton Avenue, opened in 1994.
- The Children’s Room in the Mediation Center at 69 West Washington Street in Chicago, opened in 1995.
- The K.C. Conlon Children’s Room in the Sixth Municipal District court facility in south suburban Markham opened in 1995. This children’s room was named in memory of K.C. Conlon, the son of Judge Claudia Conlon and Kevin Conlon, who died at the age of two and a half of brain cancer.
- The Children’s Room and Children’s Clinic in the Domestic Violence Courthouse at 1340 South Michigan Avenue, opened in 1999; relocated in 2005 to the new Domestic Violence Courthouse at 555 West Harrison Street in Chicago.
- The then-Loyola Children’s Center Room in the Fourth Municipal District court facility in west suburban Maywood, opened in 2002. It is presently named the Children's Room at the Maywood Courthouse.
- The Children’s Room in the Fifth Municipal District court facility in southwest suburban Bridgeview opened in 2002.
- The Children’s Room in the Second Municipal District court facility in north suburban Skokie opened in 2010.
- The Children's Room in the Third Municipal District court facility in northwest suburban Rolling Meadows opened in 2017.
The Children's Room in the Leighton Criminal Court Building at 2600 S. California Avenue, opened in June 2017, is currently closed.
The Circuit Court of Cook County's Children's Advocacy Rooms Program (its former title) was awarded the 2002 Urban Innovations in Illinois Award.