Sherry McKinney, CEO of the Foothills Children’s Advocacy Center, updated Charlottesville City Council on Sept. 15 about the center’s new facility, services and gaps in care, and asked the city for continued support to expand on‑site mental health and medical capacity.

McKinney said Foothills — now rebranded in speech as the Children’s Advocacy Center — moved from High Street to a larger site on Pantops and is co‑located with a related partner to reduce overhead and improve collaboration. She described the center’s four core services: legally sound forensic interviews for children, family advocacy, multidisciplinary team (MDT) case review and on‑site medical exams. McKinney said Foothills is one of a small number of centers in Virginia that can provide on‑site pediatric forensic medical exams and that those exams reduce additional trauma compared with emergency‑department care.

Service levels and needs: McKinney said the center served 303 children last fiscal year, 55 of whom were city residents, and that the average cost to serve a child last fiscal year was about $3,100. She said the center has expanded fundraising capacity; staff described recent grant and philanthropic work and said they expect further increases. McKinney identified two main gaps: (1) lack of on‑site mental‑health services for all children served and (2) limited on‑site medical hours under the current UVA contract (reported as 26 hours), which covers about 30% of children seen.

City discussion: Council members asked about staff self‑care and whether Foothills had mental‑health supports for employees; McKinney said the center had contracted with a local mental‑health provider for staff and MDT access and was prioritizing internal supports. Councilors asked about the center’s funding from surrounding localities; McKinney said Charlottesville and Albemarle are the largest public contributors and other counties provide smaller amounts.

Next steps: McKinney asked the council to continue funding and partnership so Foothills can add on‑site mental‑health clinicians and expand medical coverage. She said the center plans an open house and will share further fundraising and operational details with city staff.

Ending: Council members praised the center’s work and asked staff to continue coordination on potential funding and capital needs.