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Children’s Justice Center presents rising caseload, asks Duchesne County for a part-time forensic interview specialist
Summary
The Duchesne County Children’s Justice Center reported rising case numbers for 2025 and requested a part-time forensic interview specialist (estimated cost about $51,000/year through UBAOG); the Commission approved MOUs supporting the CJC and agreed to consider budgeting the position.
Children's Justice Center Director Cheryl Boren briefed Duchesne County Commissioners on the center’s 2025 statistics at the April 27 meeting and urged the County to fund a part-time Forensic Interview Specialist.
Boren said the CJC’s 2025 report details increases in cases opened, interviews conducted, medical exams and multi-disciplinary team (MDT) reviews. She told commissioners the county is one of four in the state without an on‑staff Forensic Interview Specialist and described the role as a best practice that improves investigative consistency and reduces trauma for child victims.
Boren said the estimated cost for a part-time specialist through the Utah Board of Aging and Adult Services/UBAOG would be about $51,000 per year. Commissioners discussed budgeting options and the need for flexible interview arrangements. “We need to know these answers,” resident Moreen Henderson had said earlier in the hearing when questioning the transparency of nearby projects; the funding conversation for CJC staffing underscored competing local demands on county budgets.
The Commission also approved two memoranda of understanding presented by Boren—one between Duchesne County and the CJC Advisory Board and a second among the CJC and community partners—by unanimous vote, authorizing the chair to sign both agreements.
Why it matters: Forensic interview specialists are trained to conduct child interviews for investigations and court use; having one on staff can reduce repeat interviews and support prosecution and victim services. The CJC’s caseload rise means the county must weigh staffing and funding tradeoffs against other fiscal demands.
Next steps: Commissioners asked staff to consider budget impacts and potential funding sources; no immediate final funding decision for the position was recorded at the April 27 meeting.
