South Central Child Advocacy Center Now Serving Children
South Central Child Advocacy Center
A ribbon cutting in September 2011 opened the doors to the Child Advocacy Center’s satellite center in West Plains, Missouri. The center, designed to serve Douglas, Howell, Oregon, Ozark, Texas, Wright and a portion of Shannon counties provides children, families and investigators a child advocacy center within convenient driving distance of their homes and offices. Until we opened the satellite, families were forced to drive up to 2.5 hours each way when a child needed the services of the Child Advocacy Center. Contrary to our mission, this was not a child-friendly experience. Parents were forced to take off a full day of work; children would miss an entire school-day and law enforcement officials were pulled from their communities for the better part of a day.
The SC CAC is located at 411 Garfield in the former Howell County Health Department building and has been busy since we opened. We are currently leasing the building while we fundraise to purchase it. The central location, easy access, plentiful parking and convenient floor plan have made this building an excellent choice for our satellite center and a great location to “grow” this building into the same, magical center we operate in Springfield.
We cannot thank the West Plains and surrounding communities enough for helping turn the dream of a south central satellite into reality. Volunteers scraped, spackled and painted walls; contributed supplies; moved furniture; made cash donations towards children's toys and more. A law enforcement grant helped fund Forensic Interview equipment; a St. John's Force for Good grant funded exam room supplies and equipment. A Sherwin Williams employee in West Plains donated all the paint; a law firm donated a brand-new fax machine and Bank of America donated nearly ALL of the office furniture. This project has been a true labor of love on behalf of the children of south central Missouri!
SC CAC Work Day
Voice for a Child 5K
SC CAC Ribbon Cutting
