Children's Center nears completion

Tuesday, September 30, 2003

By Justin Baldwin Nevada Daily Mail Sometimes it is nice to see a community getting behind an important project. Scores of clubs, organizations and individuals in and around Nevada are working to help bring the Nevada branch of the Children's Center to town. The Nevada office will be branch office of the Children's Center of Southwest Missouri in Joplin and will provide the forensic interview and medical exams to suspected child sexual abuse victims. The advantage of the Children's Center there is only one interview, where law enforcement personnel and observers can watch from concealment while the child is questioned by a professional. Without this type of process, the child may be subject to several interviews, and by constantly repeating the event the child is further traumatized and their testimony will begin to sound coached. As the plans for the Children's Center began to take shape, local business and organizations came forward to offer goods and services. The local lumberyards donated building materials and contractors, like Greg Kepler and Cash Electric, framed walls and installed wiring. The Nevada High School Construction Technology program is putting up all of the sheet rock, trim and insulation. Instructor Kevin Peterman, is pleased with the chance to have his students get hands on training while helping the community. He reported that the students really get into the projects. "Any time there is a volunteer something to do I've got a dozen kids that will show up," said Peterman. "Pete" Schmidt, Victim/Witness Advocate for the Vernon County Prosecutors Office, said that the fund-raising aspect is going pretty well. She reported that they have received $10,000 from the Moss Trust and many other community organizations are planning fund-raisers. Schmidt said that there is also a group of friends from Walker who have gotten together and are making stuffed animals for children visiting the center. "Every kid will leave with something," said Schmidt. Lisa Abbott, from the Juvenile Affairs Office said, "Really we are working on three things, getting it open so we can start interviewing kids, getting training for the people who want to do the interviewing and work with the kids in the center and fund-raising." Jennifer Thomas, of the Juvenile Affairs Office in Nevada, thinks that the Children's Center will be great for the community and the local victims it serves. "The Children's Center down in Joplin is wonderful. Taking children down there is the most traumatic thing a child can go through and they are so child friendly that the child leaves with a smile on their face," said Thomas. The opening date for the Children's Center is slated for the last part of October or the first part of November. Lisa Abbott, from the Juvenile Affairs Office in Nevada, said, "We do not have our stuff for the examining room but we can open and start doing our interviews." However, the battle is not yet over. Children's Center organizers are still looking for carpeting and other items. The bill for the exam room will total more than $21,000. For more information, call Jennifer Thomas at the Juvenile Affairs Office at (417) 667-5015.

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