Isaiah’s Place reports 193 children served in 2025 and expands on‑site trauma counseling

Isaiah’s Place, the Child Advocacy Center that serves Miami County, updated Troy City Council on April 20, reporting increases in demand and describing services that support investigations and trauma‑informed care for children.

Jen Nisley, program director, said the center conducted forensic interviews, provided free on‑site mental‑health services and supported local schools and law enforcement through training and prevention curriculum. Nisley said the center served 193 children from Miami County in 2025, a roughly 40% increase from the prior year. Troy accounted for 24 of those cases last year.

Nisley described the center’s model: a trauma‑informed, child‑friendly forensic interview space where law enforcement detectives, child protective staff and victim‑witness advocates can observe or be present so families do not have to endure multiple interviews. She said the center added an on‑site therapist after opening and that the therapist provided about 690 trauma‑based sessions during 2025 to reduce wait lists and travel burdens for families.

The center also supplies a research‑based prevention curriculum to schools under a train‑the‑trainer model and provides backup support to school counselors and SROs so districts can meet a 2023 state law requiring sexual‑abuse prevention education in public K–2 schools. Nisley said the organization conducts outreach and training across Miami County jurisdictions and partners with local law‑enforcement agencies.

Councilors thanked Nisley and noted the value of the center for local families and for improving outcomes in criminal and child‑protective investigations. Nisley said audio‑video recordings of interviews become part of law‑enforcement evidence records and are shared with investigators; she described the center’s coordination role across agencies.

This report is based on Nisley’s presentation to the April 20 Troy City Council meeting.