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Law enforcement, advocates urge operating funds for child advocacy centers, citing trauma care and investigative value
Summary
Multiple law‑enforcement officers, advocacy directors and nonprofit leaders told the Senate Finance Committee that accredited child advocacy centers provide a multidisciplinary, trauma‑informed response and asked the committee to include operating funds in the FY26 operating budget.
Law enforcement officers, child welfare advocates and leaders of accredited centers urged the Senate Finance Committee on Feb. 26 to fund child advocacy centers (CACs) in the FY26 operating budget, saying the centers reduce trauma for child victims and improve investigative outcomes.
Robert Hall, a major‑crimes detective in Fairbanks, said CACs operate as a “force multiplier for the police department” by allowing children to tell their story once to a multidisciplinary team rather than repeat interviews with multiple agencies. “With the step up of CACs, they have to tell their story one time,” Hall said, adding that interview consolidation helps investigators build solid cases for prosecutors.
Multiple law enforcement speakers echoed that point. Matthew Iverson, an investigator with Alaska State Troopers, said CACs provide a “kid friendly area” and coordinated services — forensic nursing, mental‑health referrals and courtroom preparation — that help investigations and families. Jeremy Ruppert, a 28‑year veteran of law enforcement, called CACs “a one‑stop shop for kids.”
Advocates outlined service volume and operations. Leigh Bolin, executive director of the Resource Center for Parents and Children, which houses Stevie’s Place Child Advocacy Center, said the center serves “between 300–400 children a year,” covers the Fairbanks North Star Borough, the Interior and the North Slope, and operates a 24/7 response. Marjorie Richards, a longtime board member, said the center coordinates a multidisciplinary team that assesses, advocates for and prosecutes on behalf of abused and neglected children.
Speakers said current reimbursement models and shrinking grant lines make operations difficult. Brian Ridley, chief chairman of the Tanana Chiefs Conference, said at least 20 percent of the behavioral‑health services his organization provides are not billable, and he warned of a behavioral‑health funding shortfall; other witnesses described a broader funding squeeze for CACs.
Why it matters: CACs provide evidence‑based, multidisciplinary responses that advocates and law enforcement say reduce re‑traumatization of child victims and improve the chances of prosecution. Witnesses asked the committee to include ongoing operating funds for CACs in the FY26 operating budget to sustain services across the Interior and statewide.
