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Open House is Aug. 15 to celebrate phase one of renovations at Justice for Children center

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Justice for Children Advocacy Center would like to cordially invite the community to attend an Open House at the Justice for Children Advocacy Center at 304 E. Main St., Batavia, from noon to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 15th.

This Open House will celebrate the completion of phase one of the renovation of our Batavia location.

We are eager to celebrate this achievement with the community because it has come as the result of eight years of hard work and extraordinary support from countless individuals in our community who want the very best for our kids!

In 2011, the Kiwanis Club of Batavia embarked on an effort to raise funds to create a physical environment at the JFCAC that is as welcoming to kids and families as is the amazing multidisciplinary team members. Thanks to the hard work of the Kiwanians and an incredible amount of support from the community, this effort raised nearly $200,000.

The First Presbyterian Church of Batavia has generously offered the JFCAC a long-term lease to one of its buildings located at 304 E. Main St. in Batavia, allowing us to devote all funds available to creating a space that fully meets the need of our program and the children we serve. 

Construction on phase one of the renovations commenced in March of this year and was completed at the beginning of July.

These renovations have doubled the amount of space available to provide direct services to children and families and have made the entire first floor completely ADA compliant.

The Justice for Children Advocacy Center (JFCAC) was established in 1998, and is the only National Children’s Alliance accredited Child Advocacy Center with offices in Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming counties.

Services available at the JFCAC include forensic interviews, medical exams, victim assistance, mental health counseling, and multidisciplinary team coordination.

Case coordination facilitated by JFCAC enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of team members in the fields of law enforcement, child protection, prosecution, medicine, mental health, and victim advocacy and ensures a child-focused response to cases of physical and sexual abuse.

Since opening in 1998, the JFCAC has coordinated the investigation and response to over 2,500 cases of sexual or physical abuse involving children. In 2018 alone, the JFCAC coordinated 247 cases and served 569 children and caregivers impacted by violence.

The evolution of this plan truly was a community effort and sends a valuable message to the children and families who have been impacted by abuse: You are not alone. Your community supports you. We are all willing to work to keep you happy, healthy, and safe.

We hope that you will join us to celebrate our achievement, our community, and our kids!

For more information about the project, please visit www.justiceforchildrenadvocacycenter.org

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