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Child Advocacy Center tells commissioners Clare County ranks among state’s highest for confirmed child abuse; center seeks community partners and funding
Summary
Northern Michigan Child Advocacy Center presentation: Clare County had among the highest rates of confirmed child abuse/neglect in Michigan’s 83 counties; the center described its forensic interview model, prevention programs and need for sustained funding and clinician capacity.
Tara Johnson, executive director of the Child Advocacy Center (presented as Northern Michigan (name in transcript) for Children / Child Advocacy Center), told the board the center’s model brings law enforcement, prosecutors, child protective services and medical staff together so children “only tell their story once.” She described the center’s forensic interviewing, family advocacy and on-site mental-health services.
Johnson said Clare County ranked second worst among Michigan’s 83 counties for confirmed child-abuse and neglect cases in 2022 (tied just behind Wayne County on the ranked metric she cited). She said the center’s confirmed victim rate in the area is “38 victims out of every thousand children,” and that 91% of victims know their abusers. Johnson told commissioners the number of children coming to the center has risen substantially during and after the pandemic.
Johnson explained the child advocacy model: a trained interviewer conducts a single forensic interview in a child-friendly room while the multidisciplinary team observes remotely; the family advocate then supports caregivers through the court process. The center also provides prevention programs in local schools (first and third grades now, pilot for sixth grade) and mental-health treatment such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy and play therapy. The center runs an onsite canine advocate and offers training for parents and community organizations on recognizing and reporting signs of abuse.
Johnson asked the county to review a community needs assessment the center commissioned and invited county leaders to help convene community partners to use the assessment data to plan services and funding. She said the center is nonprofit and relies on state grants and fundraising; the center is recruiting clinicians and needs more sustained funding to expand prevention and treatment services.
Ending: Commissioners thanked the presenter and discussed outreach and next steps; the board did not take a funding vote but the presentation was received as a request for county partnership in outreach, convening and potential funding exploration.
