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Friends of the Children’s Justice Center asks Gunnison council to consider $2,000 annual city donation
Summary
At its May 7 meeting, Linda Grishanson outlined services and 36‑month case statistics for the Sanpete County Children’s Justice Center and requested that each city consider a $2,000 annual fiscal‑year contribution to fund trauma therapy for local children.
Linda Grishanson, speaking to the Gunnison City Council as a member of the Friends of the Children’s Justice Center and identifying herself also as the county clerk, described the center’s role and asked cities to help sustain its services.
“The Children's Justice Center is a home‑like facility designed to make children feel safe while they are being interviewed regarding alleged abuse,” Grishanson said. She said the CJC coordinates a multidisciplinary team — investigators, advocates, prosecutors and medical professionals — to improve outcomes for children and families.
Grishanson presented 36‑month aggregate statistics for 2022–2024: 464 forensic interviews and 516 allegations, with 40 percent involving sexual assault and 21 percent involving physical abuse. She gave an age breakdown (11 percent under 7; 41 percent ages 7–12; 48 percent ages 13–17) and said 65 percent of alleged victims were female and 35 percent male; 48 percent of alleged perpetrators lived in the victim’s home during the incident. “We gave them a safe place to tell their story and provided them with services to help them heal,” she said.
To sustain services the Friends group asked the council to consider adding the CJC as a line item in the city’s upcoming fiscal‑year budget. Grishanson said the Friends’ formal donation request proposes $2,000 per city per year but that “any donation would be helpful.” She also described therapy costs (noting a per‑session rate) and explained that a one‑time $2,000 contribution would cover a full set of therapy sessions for one child in the community, according to the materials she provided.
Council members thanked Grishanson for the presentation and accepted an informational packet and QR codes linking to additional resources and the Friends’ outreach pages. Council did not take a motion or formal vote on funding at the May 7 meeting; staff and councilmembers indicated the request would be considered during upcoming budget discussions.
The council packet includes contact information and formal donation materials from the Friends of the Children’s Justice Center; staff encouraged council to follow up with the county office for further budgetary details.
