How many domestic violence resources are in Illinois?

Women's Corner tracks 17 domestic violence resources for women in Illinois.

Are domestic violence resources in Illinois free?

17 of the 17 listed domestic violence resources in Illinois are explicitly free or low-cost.

Which cities in Illinois have domestic violence resources?

Listings span cities including Springfield, Chicago, Oak Park.

What are some examples of domestic violence resources in Illinois?

Featured entries include Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Between Friends — Chicago, Sarah's Inn — Oak Park, Apna Ghar — Chicago, Family Rescue — Chicago.

Do these listings include phone numbers?

7 of 17 Illinois domestic violence listings include phone numbers.

How do I get a restraining order?

Go to your county's family or civil courthouse and ask the clerk for a 'protective order' or 'order of protection' petition — no attorney or filing fee required. Temporary ex parte orders can be issued the same day. A full hearing follows within 10–21 days. Court advocates and DV agencies help fill out forms; bring any evidence (texts, photos, police reports).

Where can I go right now if I'm not safe?

Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (text START to 88788) — they connect you to your nearest shelter, arrange emergency transport, and help with a safety plan. Shelters are confidential, free, and 24/7. If you're in immediate danger, call 911 and ask for a DV advocate at the scene.

Will the shelter take my kids?

Yes. Domestic violence shelters accept women with children — most accommodate boys up to age 17 (a few have age limits around 12–13 for older boys, and will arrange alternate placement nearby). Pets are increasingly welcome through programs like RedRover and Sheltering Animals & Families Together. Bring kids' birth certificates, school records, and any medications if you can.

Is the hotline really free and confidential?

Yes — the National DV Hotline and all state DV hotlines are free, confidential, anonymous, available 24/7, and offered in 200+ languages. Advocates don't report to police, immigration, or CPS unless you request it (mandatory reporting applies only to active child abuse). You can call to plan, vent, or just ask questions before deciding anything.

Best Domestic Violence in Illinois — 17 resources

About Domestic Violence for Women

Domestic violence services for women are anchored by the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-SAFE), the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and a state coalition in every state coordinated through the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). VAWA funds shelters, transitional housing, legal services, and immigration relief (U-visa, T-visa, VAWA self-petition). Survivors can obtain civil protective orders, address-confidentiality through state ACP programs, and victim advocates through local prosecutor offices. The National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-HOPE) and StrongHearts Native Helpline serve specific survivor populations. This directory includes hotlines, shelters, state DV coalitions, and protective order resources.

Domestic Violence in Illinois

Illinois handles family law through circuit courts in each of its 23 judicial circuits, with Cook County running its own Domestic Relations Division. The Division of Child Support Services handles enforcement. Chicago dominates the state; Aurora, Rockford, Joliet, Naperville, and Peoria follow. Legal Aid Chicago, Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, and the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence support women.

17 Resources

1. Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence — Free

ICADV at 801 S 11th St in Springfield is the statewide coalition representing 56 member DV programs covering every Illinois county. ICADV does not provide direct shelter but routes survivors to local member agencies and trains advocates statewide. Call (217) 789-2830 weekdays 8:30am-5pm for technical assistance or program referrals. The coalition lobbied for Illinois's 2024 strangulation enhancement and expanded firearms-restriction laws.

(217) 789-2830 · 801 S 11th St, Springfield, IL 62703 · Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm · Visit Website

2. Between Friends — Chicago — Free

Between Friends serves Chicago survivors of intimate-partner violence with a 24/7 crisis line at (800) 603-4357, free counseling, advocacy, and prevention programming in Chicago Public Schools. Confidential outreach offices serve every Chicago region; mailing address is kept private. Walk-ins are not accepted — call the hotline first to schedule. Bilingual Spanish advocates and LGBTQ-inclusive services are core to their work.

(800) 603-4357 · Chicago, IL (confidential) · 24/7 hotline · Visit Website

3. Sarah's Inn — Oak Park — Free

Sarah's Inn serves DV survivors in Oak Park, River Forest, Berwyn, Cicero, and Chicago's Austin neighborhood with a 24/7 crisis line at (708) 386-4225, court advocacy at the Cook County Maybrook Courthouse, and counseling for survivors and their children. Address is confidential for safety. The agency runs men's behavior-change groups and partners with PCC Community Wellness for medical-DV integration.

(708) 386-4225 · Oak Park, IL (confidential) · 24/7 hotline · Visit Website

4. Apna Ghar — Chicago — Free

Apna Ghar is the only Illinois DV agency focused on South Asian, Middle Eastern, and immigrant women, offering 24/7 multilingual crisis line at (773) 334-4663 in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Arabic, and other languages. Services include shelter, transitional housing, legal advocacy, and a youth program serving children exposed to violence. Address is confidential; intake routes survivors to confidential locations in Chicago.

(773) 334-4663 · Chicago, IL (confidential) · 24/7 hotline · Visit Website

5. Family Rescue — Chicago — Free

Family Rescue operates two confidential DV shelters on Chicago's South Side and serves survivors from Englewood, South Shore, and South Chicago. The 24/7 crisis line is (773) 375-8400. Services include emergency shelter, transitional housing for up to two years, children's therapy, and court advocacy at the Cook County Markham courthouse. Address is kept private for safety; calls are answered around the clock.

(773) 375-8400 · Chicago, IL (confidential) · 24/7 hotline · Visit Website

6. Illinois Crime Victims Compensation — Free

The Illinois Attorney General's Crime Victims Compensation Program at 100 W Randolph in Chicago provides up to $45,000 to eligible victims of violent crime including DV, sexual assault, and homicide survivors. Mothers can claim out-of-pocket medical, mental-health, lost-wage, and relocation costs not covered by insurance. Call (800) 228-3368 weekdays 8:30am-5pm. Applications are filed within two years of the crime; advocates at DV programs can help complete forms.

(800) 228-3368 · 100 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601 · Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm

7. WINGS Program — DuPage/Cook — Free

WINGS Program serves DV survivors in DuPage, Cook, and McHenry counties with emergency shelter and the largest network of transitional housing in suburban Chicago, plus a 24/7 hotline at (847) 221-5680. Survivors can stay up to two years with case management, employment support, and children's therapy. Address is confidential. Outreach offices are located in Palatine, Mt. Prospect, and downtown Chicago for non-shelter clients.

(847) 221-5680 · Suburban Chicago (confidential) · 24/7 hotline · Visit Website

8. National Domestic Violence Hotline — Free

1-800-799-SAFE (7233) is the federally funded national DV hotline available 24/7 in English, Spanish, and 200+ languages via interpretation. Illinois callers are warm-transferred to ICADV member programs based on their address. Texting START to 88788 and chatting at thehotline.org work the same way. Advocates help with safety planning, shelter routing, and connecting Illinois callers to local court advocates.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

9. Loveisrespect — Free

Loveisrespect at 1-866-331-9474 (text LOVEIS to 22522) is a 24/7 hotline for young people in dating abuse, run by the National DV Hotline. Illinois teens and young adults can talk with advocates trained in adolescent relationships, including connection to youth-focused programs at YWCA Chicago, Mujeres Latinas, and Between Friends. The site also publishes Illinois-specific information on minors' rights to seek orders of protection.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

10. StrongHearts Native Helpline — Free

StrongHearts at 1-844-7NATIVE provides culturally appropriate DV and dating-violence support for Native American callers, available 24/7. Illinois callers — including women connected to the Chicago American Indian Center and the Trickster Cultural Center in Schaumburg — are routed to advocates who understand tribal jurisdiction and intersection with Illinois state law. The helpline complements but does not replace tribal court remedies.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

11. National Coalition Against Domestic Violence — Free

NCADV is the national coalition that includes ICADV (Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence) as a member. The Get Help page links Illinois survivors to ICADV's Springfield office and member-program locator covering every Illinois county. Policy work includes federal VAWA reauthorization which funds Illinois Crime Victims Compensation, OVW grants to Cook County, and many of the legal-aid programs serving Illinois survivors.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

12. Futures Without Violence — Free

Futures Without Violence develops public-health-rooted DV prevention used in Illinois pediatric clinics and schools, including the CUES (Confidentiality, Universal Education, Empowerment, Support) screening adopted by Northwestern, Lurie Children's, and IDHS-funded community health centers. Free training and patient materials in English and Spanish are downloadable; Illinois women's-health providers regularly use these tools.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

13. DomesticShelters.org — Free

DomesticShelters.org maintains the most comprehensive U.S. shelter database including every Illinois ICADV member agency with confidentiality status, language services, accepted populations (women only, families, men, LGBTQ), and intake protocols. Mothers can search by Illinois ZIP code and immediately see whether a shelter accepts teenage boys, pets, or undocumented women. Listings are updated by shelter staff annually.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

14. Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence — Free

API-GBV provides Illinois service providers — including Apna Ghar and Korean American Women in Need (KAN-WIN) in Niles — with technical assistance, culturally specific resources, and policy advocacy on intimate-partner and sex trafficking in Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Free materials explain how immigration status, language access, and cultural norms shape Illinois AAPI women's experience of abuse and help-seeking.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

15. Casa de Esperanza — Free

Casa de Esperanza leads the National Latin@ Network on DV and partners with Illinois agencies including Mujeres Latinas en Acción and Family Rescue on bilingual programming. The site offers Spanish-first survivor resources, safety planning, and a clearinghouse on culturally specific approaches. Illinois Latinas can find linguistically appropriate help routed through the Network's referrals.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

16. Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) — Free

OVW administers VAWA grants that fund Illinois DV programs including transitional housing in Chicago and rural-state grants supporting downstate shelters. Site lists Illinois grantees including ICADV, Life Span, Mujeres Latinas, and county state's attorneys' offices. Free model policies and training materials are used by Illinois prosecutors and law enforcement implementing VAWA-compliant responses to DV.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

17. RAINN — Sexual Assault Hotline — Free

RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE routes Illinois callers to a local rape-crisis center 24/7 — typically Resilience (formerly Rape Victim Advocates) in Chicago, YWCA Sexual Violence Support Services suburban-wide, or the downstate ICASA member agencies. Online chat at rainn.org works the same way. Free, confidential, and available in Spanish.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

Frequently Asked

How many domestic violence resources are in Illinois?: Women's Corner tracks 17 domestic violence resources for women in Illinois.
Are domestic violence resources in Illinois free?: 17 of the 17 listed domestic violence resources in Illinois are explicitly free or low-cost.
Which cities in Illinois have domestic violence resources?: Listings span cities including Springfield, Chicago, Oak Park.
What are some examples of domestic violence resources in Illinois?: Featured entries include Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Between Friends — Chicago, Sarah's Inn — Oak Park, Apna Ghar — Chicago, Family Rescue — Chicago.
Do these listings include phone numbers?: 7 of 17 Illinois domestic violence listings include phone numbers.
How do I get a restraining order?: Go to your county's family or civil courthouse and ask the clerk for a 'protective order' or 'order of protection' petition — no attorney or filing fee required. Temporary ex parte orders can be issued the same day. A full hearing follows within 10–21 days. Court advocates and DV agencies help fill out forms; bring any evidence (texts, photos, police reports).
Where can I go right now if I'm not safe?: Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (text START to 88788) — they connect you to your nearest shelter, arrange emergency transport, and help with a safety plan. Shelters are confidential, free, and 24/7. If you're in immediate danger, call 911 and ask for a DV advocate at the scene.
Will the shelter take my kids?: Yes. Domestic violence shelters accept women with children — most accommodate boys up to age 17 (a few have age limits around 12–13 for older boys, and will arrange alternate placement nearby). Pets are increasingly welcome through programs like RedRover and Sheltering Animals & Families Together. Bring kids' birth certificates, school records, and any medications if you can.
Is the hotline really free and confidential?: Yes — the National DV Hotline and all state DV hotlines are free, confidential, anonymous, available 24/7, and offered in 200+ languages. Advocates don't report to police, immigration, or CPS unless you request it (mandatory reporting applies only to active child abuse). You can call to plan, vent, or just ask questions before deciding anything.