April 11, 2005

Child Protection Center Grand Opening

Davenport, IA. – Children who have been abused often face the additional trauma of becoming the focus of necessary investigations by various agencies involved in an allegation of abuse.

To make the fact-gathering process as child-friendly as possible, Child Protection Centers were formed in Iowa to provide a single site where multidisciplinary child protection response teams can interview, examine and care for the needs of abused children.

Last fall, the Iowa Department of Public Health awarded funding for the state’s fourth Child Protection Center. The Mississippi Valley Child Protection Center, a program of the Child Abuse Council, will host a Grand Opening and Open House on Friday, April 15 from 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Health care providers, child care workers and the public are invited to attend.

There will also be a news conference at 10 a.m. on April 15 in the Interconnect Lounge between Medical Office Buildings I and II on the Genesis Medical Center, East Rusholme Street campus.

The Mississippi Valley Child Protection Center is located on the lower level of Medical Office Building II. Genesis Medical Center provides office space and billing services for the center.

Financial support for the center also came from the City of Davenport’s community block grants, United Way, Davenport Police Department block grant, National Children’s Alliance and the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Rebecca Harris, Director of Children’s Trauma Services for the Child Abuse Council, said Child Protection Centers provide a less stressful experience for the victims of abuse.

“It’s much better for the children because it’s a coordinated effort. The children don’t have to retell their stories several times,’’ Harris explained.
“The other way to do this was to take the children to several different interviews. One of those was often at the police department. Children associate the police department as a place where bad people go so they sometimes think they have also been bad.’’

All of the agencies involved in identifying and investigating abuse of children  can determine the facts at one site in the Quad Cities. The multidisciplinary team includes law enforcement, the county attorney’s office, state child protection agencies, Department of Human Services, medical staff and Child Protection Center staff.

Children who are referred to the Child Protection Center are interviewed in a forensics exam room. The room is designed to have few distractions. There are two chairs, an easel and markers. The interview can be monitored live in an adjoining room. Interviews are also taped. If an abuse case reaches the legal system, the interview can be used as evidence.

“Our goal is that children that we see never have to get to a point where they have to testify in a courtroom. The tapes are convincing evidence and quite often there will be a plea before a case ever reaches court,’’ Harris said. “If children in this situation only have to tell their story once, it is much stronger evidence.’’

There is also a medical exam room. The walls of the room are decorated with colorful farm animals and there is a four-foot tall Eeyore in the corner.

The Child Protection Center also has a child-friendly waiting room with toys, books and child-sized furniture.

For further information about the Mississippi Valley Child Protection Center, call Rebecca Harris at 309-757-1265. The Web site for the Child Abuse Council is www.childabuseqc.org