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Children's Justice Center asks Utah County to bridge funding gap as statute change shifts workload to law enforcement
Summary
At a Utah County commission work session, the Children's Justice Center reported expanded services, sobering screening results and requested short-term county funding to sustain positions while the CJC and law enforcement adapt to a recent statute change reducing DCFS investigations.
Rebecca Martel presented the Children's Justice Center's 2020 annual report and budget request to the Board of County Commissioners, saying the center expanded services, opened a North County satellite in American Fork in June and is seeking county help to cover temporary funding gaps for existing staff.
Martel said the center provides multidisciplinary, child-focused responses under state statute and noted Utah County's population includes 32% residents under 18 — a driver of demand for services. She told commissioners the CJC reorganized into clinical (forensic interview) teams, treatment teams, medical staff and administrative support, and that services are now available in English and Spanish.
The presentation included recent screening and outcome data. "We had 442 children screened (initial and follow-up), 206 initial screenings," Martel said, and reported that "52 percent of them had high symptoms of trauma" and "46 percent of those children screened ... there was a concern for suicide." She said the…
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