Andrea Noyes, director of the Children’s Justice Center (CJC), presented the center’s 2026 budget to the Grand County Budget Advisory Board and described changes tied to the center’s newly purchased facility and increased state reimbursements.

Noyes said the county’s total cost for the CJC in 2026 will be $76,914. She said state reimbursement for the program is $127,625 this year, an increase from prior years tied to rising caseloads. Noyes told the board that the office worked to absorb an estimated $14,000 in new annual utilities for the new house by trimming other expenses and sending fewer staff to a symposium.

Board members asked about travel, symposium costs and who attends. Noyes said the symposium supports accreditation and training for the multidisciplinary team (MDT) and typically covers travel and lodging for about 14 team members, drawing from the county attorney’s office, law enforcement, mental health, medical staff and victim advocates. She said parts of those travel costs are reimbursed by the state and that symposium and training expenses support the center’s ability to secure funding.

On capital and facility work, Noyes said the state provided roughly $70,000 and FirstBank funds helped address Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)/bathroom and other code items for the new facility; nonprofit fundraising has supplemented those dollars. Board members asked whether ongoing capital or maintenance costs for the new facility are accounted for; Noyes said routine plumbing, heating and other maintenance costs have been covered historically and that the state‑owned building had recent legislative‑funded upgrades. She said no large remodel is currently planned for the space the CJC will occupy.

Board members suggested adding a revenue note to the budget printout to make grants and reimbursements transparent to the public; Noyes said she had added a revenue column to her own presentation to show projected grant income and that the CJC brought in roughly $607,000 to Grand County over the past year through grants and reimbursements.

Noyes said the CJC budget reduction approaches for 2026 included a 25% cut the previous year, re‑allocating travel and other line items and relying on increased state funding to lower the county’s net contribution.

Board members thanked Noyes for the presentation and asked staff to include grant/revenue columns in departmental displays going forward to improve transparency.