About the Program
Kids’ Korner, the children’s waiting room in the Lake County Courthouse, provides a safe, fun, and structured environment for children ages 2 - 12 who are in the courthouse to testify in court or whose parents or guardians are conducting court business. While the primary focus of Kids’ Korner is to protect children, the program is also of great benefit to the operation of the court system. Prior to opening Kids’ Korner, children were often left unattended in hallways or were present in courtrooms while their parents conducted court business, putting them at risk of being adversely impacted by the proceedings.
With fewer children present in the hallways and courtrooms, court time, and resources can be utilized more effectively. In addition, parents can be assured that their children are secure and protected from exposure to the confusing adult business taking place inside the courtrooms.
Kids’ Korner provides a safe haven to approximately 200 children each month. Kids’ Korner has serviced over 50,000 children since opening their doors in 1994.
Special Projects
Give-A-Book Project
The “Give-A-Book” project, begun in 1996, continues to be a success with both the children it is intended to benefit and the generous donors who support it. Each child cared for in Kids’ Korner chooses a book to take home. These books are given in an effort to encourage parents to read to their children, to promote a lifelong love of reading and learning, and teach children about the world around them. New and gently used books for this program are provided entirely through donations.
Read Across America
Continuing with our efforts to encourage our families to read, Kids’ Korner celebrates Dr. Seuss’s birthday in March. With “Read Across America” as our theme, every child visiting Kids’ Korner chose a Dr. Seuss book to take home. Again, thanks to generous donations, children are able to choose these special Dr. Seuss books for a several weeks during the month of March.
Family Reading Night
In support of Family Reading Night sponsored by the State of Illinois. Kids’ Korner celebrates the entire month of November with special posters and decorations throughout the room demonstrating the importance of families reading together. Special bookmarks and extra books are given to each child visiting Kids’ Korner, and parents are encouraged to spend time reading to their children.
Give an Animal a Home
Our holiday “Give-An-Animal-A-Home” project takes place in the months of December and January. Each child cared for in Kids’ Korner chooses a new stuffed animal from under our Giving Tree, providing it with a new home. This can be a stressful time in these children’s lives and this holiday project brings a smile to many young faces. New stuffed animals for this project are also provided through donations.
Project Linus
Kids’ Korner is the lucky recipient of handmade blankets from Project Linus, a 100% volunteer, nonprofit organization that distributes these beautiful blankets to critically ill and traumatized children. We receive 80-100 handmade blankets every 2 months to distribute to our children who may be in need of a little extra comfort. We also receive hundreds of handmade fleece, quilted, and crocheted blankets from the Ela Township Charity Knitters and Crochet Group of Lake Zurich to distribute to our children.
For More Information
For more information, please visit the
Kids' Korner page.