Children's Center to break ground in spring for new location

Nevada Daily Mail

The Children's Center, providing a safe, child-friendly setting for the investigation of child abuse, will have a new physical home this year.

Jeani Longstreth told members of the Nevada-Vernon County Chamber of Commerce Friday at the chamber's monthly luncheon that the center has raised the necessary funds for a new building that will house approximately 2,000 square feet geared toward meeting the forensic, medical and therapeutic needs of the children.

"Our goal is to be able to shovel dirt by spring," Longstreth said of the N. Mac Blvd. location, which at present is a vacant lot.

The center serves Vernon, Barton, Cedar and Dade counties and is part of a network of centers that serve Southwest Missouri. The other centers are located in Joplin, Pierce City and Butler.

"We have a limited budget," she said of the center, which is a non-profit organization. "Our funding comes from contributions and grant money. Volunteers do most services at the center.

"We have one paid employee, a victim's advocate, who rotates between Nevada and Butler. We have a forensic interviewer who is paid for the interview but not for the follow-ups or the travel that is required.

"And, we have a nurse practitioner on staff, who has undergone the SAFE program training (sexual assault forensic examinations).

Longstreth explained that the center receives referrals from the judicial system of children who have been the suspected victims of abuse.

She gave a brief history of how such centers came into being, noting that previously, during an average case, children "had to talk to 15 different entities. Now that's just three.

"In the past, prior to the centers' creation, we did interviews where ever you could get the child to talk to you."

Trained professionals provide children with forensic interviews and sexual assault forensic exams. Law enforcement, the state's children's division, the juvenile office, and medical professionals are involved in the process.

All such interviews are recorded and the interviewers are trained under a set of national criteria.

"We let the child be in charge of telling us about it," said Longstreth of the interview process.

"We do a basic interview with the child, and we do an anatomy questionnaire using a non-threatening diagram.

"The interview is used by other agencies and by the courts.

"We try to get the video admitted into evidence.

"The child is required to be in the courtroom and to make a statement. That may be as simple as stating their name or a question asking them if they know this person.

"Once the child is interviewed, he or she is sent back to a safe environment. We try to remove the predator from the home rather than the children."

In response to a question from the audience, Longstreth said the center sees a range of ages.

"The max is 18 but there is no bottom age, although typically, it's around 3. The child has to have some awareness and be verbal.

"We see more girls than boys, although with the younger children, it's about equal. Females tend to report more. It's very hard for adolescent males. They're very hesitant to talk.

"I've done interviews with children who have suffered all types of abuse, emotional, physical, and verbal but most are sexual abuse cases.

"Most children who are sexually abused don't experience pain," she said of early encounters, adding that the predators "program a child for later advanced acts," which then result in injuries.

Longstreth ended by noting the center was having its annual fundraiser, a benefit at the Elks Lodge in Nevada, Saturday, Jan. 31, with a social hour from 5:30 to 7 p.m., followed by mouse races and a trivia contest until 10. A live auction and free food and beverages will be served as part of the price of admission.

For more information, call 417-549-0900 or 417-448-9294.