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ADECA

September 9, 2016
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Governor awards grant for child abuse victims in west Alabama
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MONTGOMERY– An $87,154 grant awarded by Gov. Robert Bentley will help a nonprofit agency continue assisting child abuse victims in west Alabama.

The West Alabama Children’s Advocacy Center provides counseling, court preparation and other support services to victims of child abuse in Fayette, Lamar and Pickens counties. The center also provides a safe place for the child to tell of the abuse, and their testimony is recorded by law enforcement officials and other agencies involved in helping victims. This method reduces the stress of having the child recount the details of the abuse to multiple agencies.

“Free, professional assistance plays a key role in helping a child recover from abuse,” Bentley said. “I commend the staff of the West Alabama Children’s Advocacy Center for the care they provide to children in need.”

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. ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, economic development, energy conservation, water resource management and recreation.

“ADECA’s partnerships with the West Alabama Children’s Advocacy Center and other similar organizations around the state help ensure that specialized services are available to assist survivors of child abuse in their recovery,” ADECA Director Jim Byard Jr. said.

Along with grants, the agency relies on local, private donations to ensure services remain available to victims.

Bentley notified Wayne Baines, the center’s board president, that the grant had been approved.

For more information on children’s advocacy centers, see this video ADECA produced for Child Abuse Awareness Month: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2AQjmQ3ZD8.

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Contact: Josh Carples; Mike Presley


For more information, visit:  http://www.adeca.alabama.gov/