Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Child Advocacy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Twin Cedars says VOCA cuts left local child‑advocacy center short, asks Lee County for $96,000
Summary
Rosalyn Alston, speaking for Twin Cedars’ child advocacy operations, told commissioners that federal VOCA funding has fallen roughly 60% since 2017 and asked Lee County to provide $96,000 to help restore forensic‑medical exam capacity and stabilize staffing.
Rosalyn Alston, introduced by the chair as representing Twin Cedars, told the Lee County Commission that the local child advocacy center’s federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds have declined by about 60% since 2017, leaving the center unable to staff and perform local forensic medical exams (FMEs).
Alston said that in fiscal year 2017 the center received roughly $280,000 from VOCA but now receives about $120,000 yearly. She described the program model as designed for four full‑time equivalent staff (a coordinator, two victim advocates/forensic interviewers and a therapist) but said the center is currently operating at roughly two FTEs because it cannot compete for salaries with state agencies. She said the drop in reimbursement for FMEs has been particularly damaging: she said reimbursement previously ran about $750 per exam but has fallen to under $400 while the local cost to perform an FME exceeds $600 when factoring medical personnel, medical review officer fees and lab work.
"We are an unduplicated service, and it's really important to keep those services current," Alston said, describing how the CAC model centralizes multidisciplinary interviews so children tell their story once and investigative partners can observe. She said the present funding shortfall forces law enforcement to transport families to UAB in Birmingham for forensic exams when local exams would be more accessible.
When a commissioner asked how much Twin Cedars was requesting from Lee County, Alston replied she would like the full $96,000 the center projected to restore staffing and local services; she said Twin Cedars also seeks apportionments from Auburn and Opelika and relies on fundraising and in‑kind community support. Commissioners asked about the organization’s listed general and administrative (G&A) allocations and special events used to raise funds; Alston described two primary events ("Bites, Brews and Blues" in April and a golf scramble) and said local businesses provide in‑kind support.
Next steps: Alston provided materials and asked commissioners to consider the $96,000 request; the commission did not take a formal vote during the work session.
