Hefty State Grant Received by Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky
The Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky was recently awarded a generous grant from the state government. More than $270,000 in funding was given to the organization, significantly helping their mission to support young victims of crimes throughout the state.
Supporting the Victims of Crime
Earlier this week, the Governor and the Secretary of the Public Safety Cabinet of Kentucky announced the allocation of $750,000 in grant funding. The funds are intended to aid organizations dedicated to helping victims of crime regain control of their lives and start anew.
According to Caroline Ruschell, the Chief Executive Officer of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky, these resources will significantly leverage the work they do each year serving over 7,500 children. “The award that we received will actually have an impact all across the state… on behalf of all of our 15 Children’s Advocacy Center members,” Ruschell explained.
Dedicated to Child Safety, Justice, and Healing
The Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky’s mission primarily focuses on addressing reports of child abuse. They are committed to guaranteeing child safety, delivering justice where necessary, and aiding the healing process for abused children.
“We care about safety, the child being safe, we care about justice, if there was a crime, sometimes there’s not, a good interview at a Children’s Advocacy Center is one of the best ways to get to the bottom of that. But we care about justice when it’s needed, and then we care about healing that they go on to heal from their abuse,” she added.
Using Funds to Enhance Operations
The grant, which is part of the American Rescue Plan Act, is expected to go towards necessary equipment at various locations. “This particular grant was a one-time funding, and it has to be used for one-time purposes, such as the recording equipment that helps us record forensic interviews, which is also a vital piece of it,” Ruschell said.
Offsetting Victim Services Funding Cuts
In light of the reduced Victims of Crime Act funding, the grant serves as part of the $10,000,000 in federal funding included in the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet budget to fill the gap. Regardless of the current limitations, the efforts of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky wouldn’t be hindered as they continue their crucial work in communities throughout the state.
With such funding mechanisms in place, the state demonstrates an unwavering commitment to protect and support crime victims, especially the young and vulnerable. The grant to the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky is not just about funding equipment and programming. Instead, it represents the concrete efforts and concrete steps being undertaken to address crime and injustice problem affecting children.
