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Children’s Justice Center seeks long-term space and community support; county signals backing
Summary
The Children’s Justice Center (CJC) told commissioners it will rent interim space for one year while pursuing a permanent facility; the CJC noted a state award of $3 million over three years for rural centers and asked for county support (possible land, building donation, or local fundraising) to qualify for larger state investment.
Teresa Wood, executive director of the Children’s Justice Center that serves parts of southern Utah, told the commission the CJC is moving to a one-year rental for office and interview space and is continuing to seek a permanent site. Wood said the state has dedicated $3,000,000 to stabilize rural children’s justice centers over three years, but that the state looks for local community support — including county or city contributions, donated land or buildings, or local fundraising — before committing larger, longer-term investments.
Wood said the CJC’s caseload includes cases from multiple Garfield County communities and that having a local facility reduces travel burdens for families who otherwise would have to go to Cedar City or St. George for forensic interviews and related services. She asked the commission to consider continuing its past support and exploring options such as donating county-owned land or an older building and invited a county commissioner to join the CJC advisory board.
Commissioners expressed strong support, discussed possible use of state funds the county had previously allocated for the CJC, and encouraged staff to help identify grant opportunities and partnerships that could stabilize services over time. The commission did not vote on a specific dollar amount at the meeting but agreed to ongoing coordination with the CJC.
