Illinois

Facilities in Illinois

Residential facilities providing religious, behavioral, and mental health treatment to children exist in all 50 states. Some of these facilities are known to be part of the Troubled Teen Industry, while others have not yet been verified. Any facility where children live and receive care requires additional oversight. This directory helps communities monitor local programs and advocate for accountability.

Reporting abuse in Illinois

Illinois has a practical shortcut worth knowing: if a facility has broken state licensing standards, you can call the child abuse hotline and say you want to make a licensing complaint. That is the state's own advice, and it saves working out which of the licensing offices covers a program. Every complaint about a licensed clinician, whatever the profession, goes to one intake unit at IDFPR.

Time limits in Illinois: a general guide

This was correct as far as we could tell when we checked it on 28 September 2026. Laws on time limits change often, sometimes every legislative session, so some of what follows may have been updated since. It is a starting point, not legal advice: please check with a lawyer before relying on any date here. A time limit on a lawsuit or a criminal charge is also not a time limit on telling someone, and most of the places listed below will still take a report.

Time limits for abuse of a child often run from the survivor's 18th birthday, or from when they came to understand what happened, rather than from the day the program closed. Many states have lengthened them, removed them for child sexual abuse, or reopened claims that had already expired. A criminal charge, a lawsuit and a licence complaint each have their own time limit, so one having passed does not necessarily mean the others have.

Lawsuits

Physical abuse or injury: Two years from the injury for personal injury claims, including assault, battery, negligence and false imprisonment. If the person who hurt you was convicted of a Class X or Class 1 felony (or first degree murder) for it, there is no deadline to sue that person. 735 ILCS 5/13-202; 735 ILCS 5/13-202.1
If it happened before you turned 18: Yes. If you were under 18 when you were hurt, you have 2 years after your 18th birthday (until age 20) to sue. The statute sets no cap. 735 ILCS 5/13-211(a)
If the program was run by or for the government: Less certain Against a local government (county, city, school district) or its employees, the lawsuit must be filed within 1 year. Claims against the State of Illinois go to the Court of Claims: file within 2 years (minors have 2 years after turning 18), and file a notice with the Attorney General and the Court of Claims clerk within 1 year unless the claim itself is filed within that year. 745 ILCS 10/8-101(a); 705 ILCS 505/22(h); 705 ILCS 505/22-1
Child sexual abuse: There is no civil SOL for CSA, trafficking, or CSAM claims against any defendants. CHILD USA's summary

Criminal charges

Physical child abuse: Illinois has no special deadline for physical child abuse: felonies such as aggravated battery of a child or felony child endangerment must be charged within 3 years. The clock is not paused until the child turns 18 for physical abuse. 720 ILCS 5/3-5(b); 720 ILCS 5/3-6
Assault: Felony aggravated battery or aggravated assault must be charged within 3 years. Misdemeanor assault or battery must be charged within 1 year and 6 months. 720 ILCS 5/3-5(b); 720 ILCS 5/12-3.05
Child sexual abuse: CSA: There is no SOL for felony and misdemeanor sex offenses committed against children. Trafficking: The SOL for trafficking is age 43. CSAM: There is no SOL for creating child pornography. Lesser CSAM offenses have an SOL of age 19 or 3 years from the offense, whichever is later. CHILD USA's summary

The injury, assault and physical abuse lines are our reading of the statutes linked, as they stood on 28 September 2026. The child sexual abuse lines are CHILD USA's summary as it stood on 28 September 2026; their page may be more current than ours. In them SOL means statute of limitations, CSA child sexual abuse, and CSAM child sexual abuse material. "Less certain" marks a line where the law is unclear or where our reading has not been confirmed, so please treat it with extra care. Exceptions, court rulings and the details of what happened can all change which time limit applies, and some of these may be longer or shorter for you than they look here. CHILD USA's statute of limitations tracker, updated as each state changes its law. A lawyer can tell you which time limit applies to you, and many offer a free first consultation.

The therapist's licensing board

Holds the individual clinician's licence and can suspend or revoke it.

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation

Multiple professions

Licenses and disciplines professional counselors, clinical social workers, psychologists and marriage and family therapists among more than a hundred professions, and investigates complaints against any of them through one Complaint Intake Unit.

Use this whenAny licensed mental health professional in Illinois. Complaints are accepted from clients, families, colleagues and anybody else.

HowFile through the Division's complaint page. The licensee is notified of the allegations in writing once it is logged.

The agency that licenses the program

Inspects the facility itself and can cite, fine, suspend or close it.

Illinois DCFS Licensing

Licenses child care and child welfare facilities in Illinois against state licensing standards, and investigates complaints that a facility has breached them.

Use this whenA facility you believe has broken licensing standards - staffing, supervision, conditions, how children are treated.

HowComplain to the local DCFS Licensing Office, or call the Child Abuse Hotline and say you want to make a licensing complaint. Complaints can be made by post, email, fax or in person.

1-800-252-2873 The Child Abuse Hotline also takes licensing complaints - say that is what you are calling about.
File a complaint

Law enforcement and legal channels

Child protection, the Attorney General, and the criminal side.

Illinois DCFS Child Abuse Hotline

The statewide 24-hour line for reporting a child harmed or at risk of harm through abuse or neglect, and the route into a DCFS investigation.

Use this whenA child at an Illinois program.

HowCall, at any hour.

1-800-252-2873 1-800-25-ABUSE. 24 hours a day.
More about this body

Oversight and advocacy

Bodies with a right to investigate, and advocates who can act for you.

Equip for Equality

Illinois's Protection and Advocacy agency, with federal authority to investigate abuse and neglect of people with disabilities in facilities, a right of access to them, and free legal advocacy.

Use this whenAn Illinois program where the young person has a disability or a mental health diagnosis.

HowContact the intake line.

1-800-537-2632 Main line 312-341-0022; TTD 1-800-610-2779.
More about this body

National reporting channels, and the same list for other states