Office of the Cook County Public Guardian

10/15/2026

Wendy Cappelletto, Director of Policy and Benefits for our Adult Guardianship Division, conducted a workshop at the American Bar Association’s National Aging and Law Conference last Friday. Cappelletto and Shari Polur, an elder law attorney from Kentucky and member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Board of Directors, discussed the rights of individuals to retain agency while requesting assistance with aging.

10/13/2026

Last week, attorney Gabriela Coronado and child interviewer Zuleima Ocampo from our Juvenile Division presented at the 38th Annual Illinois DCFS Latino Family Institute Day.

Coronado and Ocampo discussed the OPG's role representing children in care and how to work in an inclusive, culturally informed way towards positive outcomes for children and families.

10/12/2026

October is Infant Safe Sleep Awareness Month in Illinois. Unsafe sleep is a leading cause of death for infants one year and younger. In 2025, 128 infants died in Illinois as a result of being put to sleep unsafely. Our office is committed to raising awareness of effective ways to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death. Please share this post and the linked information from the National Institutes of Health to spread the word about the best ways to help infants sleep safely.

Everyone who cares for babies can help reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths, such as suffocation.

10/09/2026

One evening every October, near the anniversary of the fire at the Cook County Administration Building that claimed the lives of our friends and colleagues, Maureen McDonald, Sara Chapman, and John Slater III, we participate as an office in a volunteer activity to remember, honor, and celebrate their lives. The volunteer evening rotates between favorite charities of John, Sara, and Maureen.

Last night we volunteered at Anti-Cruelty Chicago, Chicago’s oldest and largest private, open-door animal shelter offering care for animals, adoptions, veterinary services, and community education, to honor Sara’s love of animals. We delivered donations and “wish list” items and played and socialized with the animals.

It was a fun and meaningful evening.

10/08/2026

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. One in four women and one in seven men will experience severe physical violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime. For many, intimate partner violence begins at a young age.

Domestic violence is not only physical. Emotional abuse, intimidation, isolation, and economic abuse are common forms of intimate partner maltreatment. It is important to teach young people the warning signs of abuse, the elements of a healthy relationship, and how to protect themselves and their loved ones from abuse. Please read and share the link below to help young people experiencing domestic violence.

Healthy relationships for young adults can be confusing. Love is more than just the way you feel, and we're here to help.

10/06/2026

Our office was well represented at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, which took place on Saturday in Lincoln Park. The walk benefits the Alzheimer's Association, whose mission is to raise money and awareness for care, support, and research to help individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s Disease. Participants enjoyed a lovely and meaningful walk on a beautiful fall morning to benefit an important organization.

10/02/2026

Yesterday, Danielle Gomez and Elise Melrose, the Public Guardian's Director and Senior Attorney for Legislative Affairs, presented a webinar entitled "2026 Child Welfare Legislative Update" hosted by The Chicago Bar Association.

The presentation focused on recent statutory changes, policy developments, and newly enacted juvenile and child welfare legislation impacting Illinois courts and the representation of youth in care.

09/29/2026

Today, our Senior Attorney for Legislative Affairs Elise Melrose presented an overview of Illinois’ new legislation, Successful Transition to Adulthood Review (STAR), to more than 300 judges and attorneys across the state. This training was organized and hosted by the Supreme Court of Illinois Judicial College.

Melrose, along with the Honorable Chantelle Porter (Circuit Court Judge in DuPage County), the Honorable Lisa Taylor (Circuit Court Judge in Cook County), Dawn Bachtold, (Deputy Director of Agency Performance Monitoring & Ex*****on at DCFS), and Jocelyn Fetting (former youth in care and host of the Illinois Child Welfare Exchange), explained the importance and purpose behind the STAR Act.

STAR hearings are part of Public Act 104-107, effective July 1, 2026, which establishes a process for children in care to develop critical life skills and ensures that there is a thorough court review of transition planning for these youth.

09/25/2026

This week, several representatives from the Office of the Cook County Public Guardian met with interdisciplinary professionals from the Shanghai Social Services Committee to discuss approaches to caring for aging populations in Chicago and Shanghai.

This gathering was sponsored by the Chicago Sister Cities International (CSCI) program, and facilitated by Sean Martin, Assistant Deputy Public Guardian, and Co-Chair of the Shanghai Social Services Committee/CSCI. CSCI has developed social services exchanges with sister cities around the world to address issues such as child welfare, youth development, and services for aging populations which transcend national borders, creating valuable opportunities for international collaboration and the exchange of best practices.

09/08/2026

Kudos to Illinois and Attorney General Kwame Raoul for being part of a coalition of 21 states challenging a new federal attempt to ban gender-affirming care for youth. If the courts don’t intervene, the new rule could go into effect on October 13. A federal court in Oregon struck down a similar rule in March.

LGBTQ+ youth, including transgender children, disproportionately find themselves in foster care for a variety of reasons including family rejection. Roughly 30% of adolescent youth in care identify as LGBTQ+, compared to around 10% nationally. These children are more likely to experience bullying, housing instability, and mental health challenges.

To be separated from their families, and then denied the care they need and deserve, is doubly cruel. The Chicago Sun-Times has an article about the new federal rule and the lawsuit:

In a social media post Tuesday, Trump said he instructed the Administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and former television personality, Mehmet Oz, to push the rule through his agency. In March, Oregon District Court judge Mustafa Kasubhai struck down a near identical…