Valley Children's Center
1215-A Greenville Ave
Staunton, VA 24401
ph: 540-213-0592
valleych
About Us
The Need
In a perfect world, children live in safe, nurturing environments. But our world is not perfect. It is a harsh reality that child abuse occurs all too frequently. Nearly 600 cases of child abuse and neglect are reported in Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County each year. Too often these young victims are further traumatized by the very system designed to help them.
Professionals from the child protection, investigative, legal and medical systems would interview the child separately and repeatedly in police stations and other environments designed for adults. Many times these interviews were done solely to meet the diverse and sometimes conflicting requirements of the agencies involved, rather than the needs of the child. Successful prosecution was rare and the victim seldom received the support and services needed.
A Better Way
In 2005, a group of dedicated individuals from agencies who handle child abuse recognized a need for change. This Multidisciplinary Task Force began working as a team to establish a Child Advocacy Center that would unite all agencies working on behalf of child abuse victims and promote a compassionate, well-coordinated community response.
The Valley Children’s Center
The Valley Children’s Center is a non-profit agency designed to reduce the trauma and advance the recovery of abused and neglected children. The Center provides a comfortable, private, child-friendly setting where abused and neglected children can be interviewed by Child Protective Services and Law Enforcement. These interviews are recorded for use by the Commonwealth’s Attorney to enhance the investigation of abuse allegations. The Center seeks to prevent trauma to the child caused by multiple, duplicative interviews and holds more offenders accountable through the improved prosecution of child abuse cases. Each of the nearly 600 cases of child abuse and neglect in our area will be handled through the Center to ensure a well-coordinated interview and investigation so that no child “slips through the cracks”.
"Life, love, and laughter - what priceless gifts to give our children."
Phyllis Dryden
1215-A Greenville Ave
Staunton, VA 24401
ph: 540-213-0592
valleych
