The Child Network’s new executive director, Brianne Hetman, has gotten settled in her role since taking over this fall.

Hetman, of Manteno, is the former CEO of Senior Services of Will County, a position she has held since 2018.

Hetman officially started with the Child Network Sept. 29, replacing former longtime executive director Kristin Jackson, who had spent 20 years with the organization.

Established in 1994, the Child Network, a children’s advocacy center and court-appointed special advocates agency, is aimed at improving the response to child sexual and physical abuse in Kankakee and Iroquois counties.

Its main office is in Bradley, with a satellite office established in Watseka in 2018.

Meet Hetman

Hetman has worked in social services for 25 years, working with all populations from children to people with disabilities and the elderly, and serving a variety of needs, including substance abuse, mental health and domestic violence.

“Now, I’m working with kids again and being involved with lots of trauma-informed work,” she said. “It’s been very eye-opening how many things have changed ... and lots of things haven’t changed, which means there’s a lot more work we have to do to provide these critical services to our community.”

Hetman graduated from Peotone High School and earned her bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University and a Master’s of Public Administration from Governors State University.

This is Hetman’s first time living and working in the same community.

She said she is excited to form relationships through her new role.

“I’ve been involved in really great work, but now it’s some that’s directly benefiting the community that I live in, which is pretty fantastic,” she said.

As a lifelong resident of the area, Hetman said she understands the unique challenges and barriers that the population of Kankakee and Iroquois counties face when it comes to accessing social services.

“We’re not one of the biggest programs in the state, but for being a small program, we provide a lot of services to a lot of kids and families in our community,” Hetman said of the Child Network. “I have been continuously surprised every day that I’m here of the great work that we’re doing.”

Getting the word out

In 2026, the Child Network will launch new volunteer recruitment and community outreach efforts, as the organization is serving record numbers of children, Hetman said.

“If you’re looking for a way to give back, and you’re a doer, this is the way that you can do it,” she said. “You can change somebody’s life.”

The opportunity to volunteer as a court-appointed special advocate, or CASA, does not require any special training or certification, she said.

It is something almost anyone can do.

These volunteers help children navigate the judicial system and ensure their voices are heard. Many times, they make a difference in the child’s life simply by being a trusted adult.

“You just have to be someone in the community that cares and wants to be a volunteer,” she said. “That’s an extraordinary opportunity for folks to volunteer in a very meaningful way.”

In the last fiscal year, the Child Network provided over 225 forensic interviews, which are legally required in instances of severe abuse that could involve criminal proceedings.

It is on track to surpass that number in the current fiscal year.

“There’s only 52 weeks a year, so you can think about how many kids that we’ve seen come through here,” Hetman said.

The Child Network has nearly 200 active cases in Kankakee and Iroquois counties.