Tyler’s Justice Center for Children

STOCKTON – Tyler's Justice Center for Children is dedicated to lessening a child victim's trauma by providing a sensitive, collaborative response to the investigation, prosecution and treatment of child sexual abuse and serious physical abuse cases.

“Tyler’s Justice Center is named after a little boy, Tyler DeBord, who was killed by a household member,” said Tyler’s Justice Center Executive Director Missy Lyons.

According to court records, during the night of March 31, 2000, Tyler, who was 2 months old, died from a head injury suffered while in a family or household member’s care.

Tyler’s Justice Center was opened in 2002 by then Jo Daviess County States Attorney Glen Weber.

“We get referrals from law enforcement or the Department of Children and Family Services and we then work with the family and those agencies involved, getting them all together to do an interview,” said Lyons. “We do taped forensic interviews that are basically child sensitive. We talk with the child. We don’t badger the child; rather, we approach the situation sensitively and with compassion, so as to not further traumatize the child, but at the same time, we gather enough information to prosecute the case.”

The interviews are recorded under strictly controlled conditions, so the child will be saved from revisiting the trauma.

“Once a child comes to the center and tells their story, ideally they should be finished and able to move forward in their lives without the agony of revisiting the trauma as the case works its way through the courts,” Lyons said. “There are times with these cases take years to get through our court system and we see no reason for a child to repeatedly revisit the crime.”

She said further services are provided for the victims and their family once the initial interview is completed.

“We can connect them with counseling,” said Lyons. “We don’t provide counseling at the center, but we have linkage agreements with area sexual and physical abuse programs and refer victims to those facilities. We do everything we can to assist the children and family.”

Some of the Tyler’s Justice Center funding comes through a DCFS contract.

“Getting paid by the DCFS is a little touchy right now, but I can say as long as they are getting paid, we are getting paid,” Lyons said. “We also utilize 708 Board funding and local grants, but actually, about half of our funding comes through donations and fund raising activities.”

She said there is more to the 708 Board and its processes than funding.

“The 708 Board provides what we see as a real networking opportunity in that we are able to meet with other agencies working in similar areas to bounce ideas around the room and exchange referrals,” said Lyons. “We work with almost every agency in the area and when new ones arrive on the scene the 708 is often our first real opportunity to meet and start working in support of each other.”