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Strafford County approves grant extension to fund contracted clinician for Child Advocacy Center
Summary
County commissioners unanimously approved an extension of a state grant for the Child Advocacy Center to June 2027 so the funds can pay a contracted trauma clinician; the county will partner with Rockingham County Child Advocacy Center and Granite State Children's Alliance to host and sustain services.
The Strafford County Board of County Commissioners voted April 23 to extend a state grant for the Child Advocacy Center (CAC), allowing funds set to expire in June 2026 to be spent through June 2027 to hire a contracted trauma clinician.
A county staff member told the board the original state funds were awarded quickly and the county had not yet identified appropriate space to host a clinician. The county has partnered with the Rockingham County Child Advocacy Center, whose community-campus space is already set up for clinical work; Granite State Children’s Alliance will provide additional funding to sustain the clinician after the grant extension ends.
The staff member said the position will prioritize Strafford County children but will be managed as part of the Sea Coast behavioral health clinician arrangement to ensure continuity and evening appointment coverage. Commissioners asked about security, hours and the optics of providing clinical services inside the courthouse; staff explained Rockingham’s facility addressed those concerns and that the extension is intended as a temporary measure so children can access services sooner.
Commissioner McGlair and other commissioners expressed support. A motion to approve the extension was moved, seconded and passed unanimously.
The action will allow the county to contract for trauma-specialized clinical care in the near term while staff continue work to identify permanent space. No dollar amount for the original grant was specified in the transcript; staff said Granite State Children’s Alliance would contribute ongoing support after the extension’s expiration.
