Kids-TALK Children's Advocacy Center opens in downtown Detroit
Wayne County Children's Protective Services substantiates more than 7,000 cases of physical, sexual and emotional abuse or neglect every year. The rate of child abuse and neglect in the City of Detroit is nearly double the national average.
Now, the new Kids-TALK Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) is there to make a difference.
For many years The Guidance Center has operated the Kids-TALK program, which conducts forensic interviewing for children of suspected sexual abuse, neglect or trauma. The agency now has expanded the program to include a new, free-standing building in downtown Detroit's University Cultural Center area near the DIA and WSU campus that is dedicated to protect children and help them to heal.
In the new facility at 40 E. Ferry Street, Detroit Police, Wayne County prosecutors, Children's Protective Services workers, forensic interviewers and mental health workers from The Guidance Center, and researchers from Wayne State University provide services in the same building. Medical evaluations from the DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan soon will be added. This comprehensive team is dedicated to protect victims from further abuse by providing cutting-edge medical and mental health treatment, conducting research, and preventing child abuse through community education.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy stated, "Whenever we have a collaborative effort like we have here today, then the children are the real beneficiaries. Anything we can do to make kids feel safter is important because no child should have to go through a traumatic experience like this."
Added Wayne County Exeutive Robert Ficano, "Our children are our most precious resource and the Kids-TALK Children's Advocacy Center shows we're serious about helping them."
Children's Advocacy Centers receive an average of 50 percent of their funding from private donors. In order to sustain the Kids-TALK CAC it is important that we begin receiving financial donations from individuals and organizations. Needs include: renovations for creating medical examinations rooms; furniture and decorative items, toys for the children to play with in the waiting room; books and other items to create a resource center for families; and items to help meet the basic needs of families (e.g. clothing, diapers, formula). For more information about making a financial contribution to the Kids-TALK CAC please contact Betty Priskorn at 734-785-7766.
The Kids-TALK Children's Advocacy Center may be reached at 313-833-2970.
Kids-TALK Children's Advocacy Center partners, L-R: Carlynn Nichols and Veda Sharp, Detroit-Wayne County Community Mental Health Agency; Margaret Warner, Wayne County Department of Human Services, Children's Services Division; Shirley Mann Gray and Dr. Herman Gray from the DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan; Eric Reed, Wayne County Department of Children and Family Services; Dr. Hilary Ratner, Vice President of Research for Wayne State University; Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy; Jerry Dorsey, Chief of Trials, Office of the Wayne County Prosecutor; Kari Walker, President & CEO of The Guidance Center; Nancy Diehl, Kids-TALK Founder; Betty Ruud, President-Elect of the Detroit Exchange Club; Chief David Hiller of the Wayne County Association of Chiefs of Police; and Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano.
