Allen Child Protection Center seeks $1.5 million to move into renovated Alumni Hall

Kim French, a representative of the Allyn Foundation, and Katie Sroupe, director of the Allen Child Protection Center, presented the center’s capital campaign to the Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 30. The center is seeking $1.5 million to renovate Alumni Hall on the Allen College campus and move operations out of the hospital.

The presenters said the center, established in 2010, serves 27 counties in northeast Iowa. "The Allen Child Protection Center in Waterloo is a place of safety, a place of hope, and a place to start recovery for children and dependent adults who are suspected victims of abuse or witnesses to crime," Sroupe said during the presentation. She said services are provided at no charge to patients and families.

French told supervisors the campaign has raised $1.1 million to date and is seeking pledges to reach the $1.5 million goal by the end of the year. The planned move would create "more privacy and security, better accessibility, a less intimidating space for kids to enter, and additional interview and observation rooms," French said. She said UnityPoint Health is performing preliminary HVAC and sprinkler upgrades so the vacant building can be returned to service.

Presenters described conditions at the current hospital-based facility as constrained: narrow hallways, shared staff spaces, a crowded waiting room and limited private interview rooms. Sroupe said the center saw 650 patients in 2024, primarily children between ages 5 and 12, and that 25–28% of annual patients reside in Black Hawk County. She said the center’s annual operating budget exceeds $1 million and that a state HHS grant covers roughly 20% of annual expenses.

French and Sroupe said UnityPoint Health has provided operational support in the past and that the center writes off any co-pays or coinsurance so no family receives a bill. They asked supervisors to consider pledging or contributing to the capital campaign; pledges can be paid over multiple years, they said.

Nate, who identified himself as connected with the sheriff’s office, spoke in support. "The staff there is amazing. Obviously, through work, we have to use them far too often, but then on a personal side, my son's been through some trauma as well, and he's actually done their service as well," he said, urging support for a standalone, less hospital‑like facility.

Supervisors did not take a formal vote on funding during the meeting. Presenters left campaign materials and contact information for county officials who want additional information or to coordinate next steps.

The center’s immediate request was for support and outreach rather than a specific county budget appropriation at this meeting; campaign leaders asked only that supervisors consider pledging or endorsing the effort and indicated they will return with additional details if requested.