Naperville opens Children’s Advocacy Center named for Jeanine Nicarico
BY HANK BECKMAN For Sun-Times Media September 17, 2013 5:42PM
Jeanine Nicarico
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Updated: September 18, 2013 2:22AM
Opening the Jeanine Nicarico Children’s Advocacy Center on Tuesday, DuPage County found a measure of hope in an unspeakable tragedy.
Ten-year-old Jeanine was home sick from school when shewas abducted from her Naperville home and killed in 1983.
Her death spurred reforms in how crime against children were investigated and prosecuted, county officials said.
The new center is designed to provide a comprehensive response to allegations of child abuse and to help children who are the victims of crime. DuPage officials said the facility is truly needed because child-abuse cases are on the rise in the county.
“This is a wonderful thing,” Pat Nicarico, Jeanine’s mother, said Tuesday at the opening ceremony for the new center. “We want to thank . . . the entire community.”
Pat Nicarico’s husband, Tom, stood at her side during the event. They were joined by DuPage County Chairman Dan Cronin; State’s Attorney Robert Berlin; former DuPage State’s Attorney Joe Birkett, and county board members James Healy (R-Naperville) and Grant Eckhoff (R-Wheaton).
The 15,000-square-foot Children’s Advocacy Center at 422 N. County Farm Road in Wheaton was built for $5.6 million. Healy, along with former county board member Deb Olson, took the lead to replace the old Children’s Center located right next door with a new, modern facility.
Berlin said 400 cases were referred to the county’s previous Children’s Center in 2012, an 11 percent increase in cases over the previous year.
He said the issue of child abuse crosses all lines.
“It has no boundaries,” Berlin said. “It’s in every economic sector of the county.”
Berlin said a special center to deal with child abuse is a necessity. He said dealing with child-abuse cases requires a special set of skills.
“It requires extensive experience, but the experience absolutely makes a difference,” he said.
Cronin said child abuse is a problem that DuPage County needs to face.
“These crimes are among the most horrific and repulsive . . . unfortunately there is a need [for this facility] in our community.”
He also wanted to make sure that Jeanine Nicarico is not forgotten.
“Jeanine’s death was a tragedy that we will live with in DuPage County forever,” he said.
But the opening of the new Children’s Advocacy Center provides a new chapter in that sad story, he said. “We’ve turned that horrific event and experience into a positive today,” he said.
