Prosecutor Looks To Start Child Advocacy Center In Kosciusko
Prosecutor Looks To Start Child Advocacy Center In Kosciusko
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David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Prosecutor Looks To Start Child Advocacy Center In KosciuskoProsecuting Attorney Dan Hampton sought permission from the county commissioners Tuesday to apply for a grant to create a child advocacy center in Kosciusko.
He hopes the child advocacy center (CAC) might eventually turn into a nonprofit organization, but that had Commissioner Bob Conley concerned about the county providing funding for yet another nonprofit.
The federal grant is for $98,749.13 through the Bureau of Justice Assistance. It would cover costs for personnel, supplies, services and equipment.
Hampton said CACs have been around for several years but there’s not been one in Kosciusko County.
“The purpose of (a CAC) is to offer forensic interviews for children who are victims or have been significant witnesses for criminal cases or even for the Department of Child Services,” he said.
“So a child advocacy center offers specialists for interview techniques with children. One, to reduce the number of interviews the children are exposed to, so we can usually get done in one interview rather than multiple interviews. So that significantly reduces the mental trauma that the child has to experience through the interview process. And also, it gives the opportunity for the child to have further wrap-around services afterward through mental or medical needs. And because of the child advocacy center with the specialist of the interviewer, it also incorporates a multi-disciplinary team,” Hampton continued.
The team includes child protective services, law enforcement, and mental and medical specialists. They’re all involved at the same time in the interview.
“It’s really a unique experience for capturing that interview and allowing children not to experience such a traumatic experience that they had had as a witness or a victim,” Hampton said.
He said the grant opportunity is to “initiate or start” the CAC, with the plan to evolve that into a not-for-profit. The grant has to be applied for through the prosecuting attorney’s office because it has to have a government entity be the sponsor of it.
Commissioner Cary Groninger asked if there are neighboring counties that have the centers which Kosciusko County has used in the past.
Hampton said the closest one is in Elkhart County, with another one in Allen County.
“We’ve talked with Whitley County, Noble County. They’re interested in using our services, too, so we’ll be able to hopefully encourage other counties to use it, too,” Hampton said.
Commissioner Bob Conley said his issue with the grant leading to the formation of a nonprofit is that “we try to slim not-for-profits in accordance with the income that’s available. What kind of ongoing expense would a not-for-profit (have)? Maybe a $95,000 (or) $98,000 start-up, but ongoing, a not-for-profit may be $100,000 or $200,000. To get started may be inexpensive and may be funded by the government, but then we locally have to take on a not-for-profit.”
Hampton told Conley he wasn’t saying that the county would be responsible for the not-for-profit. There are other resources in the county available, which have been looked into, and they’re ready to “partner up with this type of philosophy.” He said he wasn’t seeing it as a county-dependent not-for-profit.
Conley said he “loved” the concept of the center, but his “overall, larger” concern was if the county would have to provide a building and/or staff for it to keep the not-for-profit going.
“I guess I’m hearing you say that, from a commissioner’s viewpoint, your experience of not-for-profits have been coming in here and asking for money,” Hampton said.
“Oh yeah,” Conley responded.
“Well, in my opinion, that’s not the way a not-for-profit should operate. A not-for-profit should seek other revenue sources in addition to government or instead of government,” Hampton said.
“I think they do, but it’s in conjunction with government. I think they do that. I think they do have other outside resources, but then they do depend on county revenue to do that, to fill in the gap if they don’t have revenue from other sources,” Conley said.
Commissioner Brad Jackson said right now Hampton was only asking for the commissioners to approve a grant application. Conley said Hampton said it would lead to a not-for-profit.
“I’m just offering that as a suggestion that once the grant runs out, as has always been our policy, government is not responsible for the carrying-on of the entity,” Hampton said.
The commissioners approved for Hampton to apply for the grant.
Bids for the bridge No. 9 reconstruction project were opened. It’s on Husky Trail over Deed’s Creek. Highway Superintendent Scott Tilden will review the bids and provide the commissioners with a recommendation at their next meeting.
Base bids were from Phend & Brown for $2,268,794.92 with a base bid plus alternative C for $2,241,494.92; Rieth-Riley Construction Inc. for $1,981,326 with no bids on any alternatives; and HRP Construction Inc. for $1,585,075.42 with no bids on any alternatives.
In other business, the commissioners approved:
• A project coordination contract between the Indiana Department of Transportation and the county for preliminary engineering, as requested by Tilden. The project is for bridge 161, which is on CR 200S over Walnut Creek. The maximum amount of federal funds allocated for preliminary engineering is $206,560. Tilden said that is INDOT’s 80% of the eligible costs for engineering.
The project isn’t scheduled to occur until 2023-24.
• An updated snow and ice control policy, as requested by Tilden. The main difference describes and defines how the contractor is to be paid for hauling, stockpiling and returning salt and salt/sand mixture. He said it wasn’t defined before.
The policy was last updated in 2002.
• An assessment of the county’s broadband by Pyramid Consulting for $11,000 as requested by County Administrator Marsha McSherry.
• For the sheriff’s office to seek grants from the Indiana Criminal Institute totaling $47,300, as requested by 1st Sgt. Chris McKeand.
• An ordinance amending the county’s personnel policy regarding the prohibition of smoking within 10 feet of county buildings, facilities and vehicles, as requested by McSherry. The ordinance adds ecigarettes and any type of inhaling devices to the prohibition.
• A lease agreement between the county, highway department and town of Silver Lake for the county to use Silver Lake property throughout the year. The lease is for $1 per year for 20 years.
