Money part of $4 million Cuomo is allocating for child advocacy centers to enhance investigation of child abuse cases
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced that the Madison County Sheriff’s Office has been chosen as one of 21 recipients of funding from the New York State Office of Victim Services to enhance services provided by child advocacy centers to child victims of abuse.
“The work that is done at our Children’s Advocacy Center by a gifted and dedicated team cannot be given enough credit or support,” said Acting Sheriff John Ball. “Daily, these professionals deal with the worst crimes – physical, sexual and mental abuse to our children. This funding will enhance and expand our level of service to those child victims and the kid’s support network. It will greatly enhance our already comprehensive investigations that lead to successful prosecution by our District Attorney’s Office.”
The funding will be used by Madison County’s Children’s Advocacy Center, a program of the Sheriff’s Office, to expand its forensic interviewing capabilities. The $183,767 award will fund the hiring of a specially trained child forensic interviewer and the purchase of video-recording and forensic computer equipment that will support the interview process.
“Our program works very hard to provide a sensitive, child-focused approach to these cases and offer a safe, trusting setting for children,” said MCCAC Program Director Renee Smith. “The goal is to determine the facts of a given situation while minimizing system trauma to these young victims. This funding will allow us to fine-tune the child forensic interview services that we already provide. We are extremely grateful to have been chosen to receive this funding.”
Child Advocacy Centers facilitate a multidisciplinary response to allegations of child abuse. A team of law enforcement, child protective services professionals, prosecutors, medical and mental health providers, and victim advocates work together to investigate child abuse allegations, offer support and services and prosecute predators. The goal of this collaborative effort is to minimize system trauma experienced by children while holding offenders accountable.
“This critical funding will help provide a safe haven for children who have suffered from abuse and help them take the first step on the road to recovery,” Cuomo said. “With this funding, child advocacy centers will be better equipped to partner with law enforcement to bring the abusers to justice while offering effective emotional support services to child victims and their families.”
Established in 2008, the Madison County Children’s Advocacy Center provides a comprehensive and collaborative system response to the County’s most serious cases of child abuse – physical and sexual. A program of the Sheriff’s Office, the MCCAC partners with the Department of Social Services, District Attorney’s Office, Department of Mental Health, Probation, New York State Police, Oneida Police Department, Canastota Police Department, Hamilton Police Department, Cazenovia Police Department and Oneida Healthcare Center.
Administered by the state Office of Victim Services, the grants are funded through the federal Victims of Crime Act and the state’s Criminal Justice Improvement account, which are funded through fines, fees and surcharges paid by certain offenders after conviction in state or federal court.
Other Central New York counties receiving this funding include:
- Oneida County Sheriff’s Office: $186,040
- CAC Foundation in Oswego County: $199,640
- McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center (Onondaga County): $199,711