MONTGOMERY— Gov. Bob Riley has awarded an economic stimulus grant of $8,716 to help a Montgomery-based organization continue assisting victims of child abuse in central Alabama.
The grant to Child Protect Inc. will support programs for abused children in Autauga, Chilton, Elmore and Montgomery counties. The grant supplements $66,490 that was awarded by Riley in 2008.
“Non-profit services like Child Protect play an important role in helping children recover from the trauma of abuse,” said Riley.
The organization provides counseling for victims and family members not involved in the abuse, and court advocacy and related services to help families navigate the legal system.
Staff members also work with law enforcement agencies, the state Department of Human Resources and two district attorney’s offices to help in the prosecution of abusers.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant from funds made available to the state by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The board of directors of Child Protect has committed $2,179 in matching funds. While the stimulus funding helps make up for previous cuts in public funding, the organization is still dependent upon private donations for many services.
Riley notified Ed Reifenberg, board president, that the grant had been approved.
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Contact: Josh Carples; Larry Childers