The children who come to Safe Harbor Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) were happy kids until something traumatizing happened to them. They were touched by someone who made them feel “icky,” and now are going through a body safety medical exam as part of a police investigation of the incident.
Safe Harbor is where the healing begins.
"I felt they were very kind and they really cared about how we felt going through it,” says the parent of one child victim who came to the center for services. “Our son felt safe talking to them about his trauma.”
The services start with prevention, then intervention and treatment. The organization’s centralized, welcoming environment allows the staff to provide child-friendly prevention education, forensic interviews, counseling, medical evaluations, victim advocacy, court advocacy, and adult training. From a child’s initial disclosure to their last day of counseling, Safe Harbor guides children through their journey of healing.
Expanding services
An expansion project aims to improve care for the more than 300 children who receive treatment at Safe Harbor. The nonprofit is building a new facility in Allegan to expand services for children and furnish space so all services can be provided at the same time rather than scheduled through separate appointments.
Currently, there’s only one room available for each of the services: child interview, interview observation room, therapy, medical, and waiting room. The existing building doesn’t allow for many essential tasks to be performed simultaneously and without struggle, explains Lori Antkoviak, Safe Harbor CAC executive director.
The new facility will more than double the current space to 6,000 square feet, with room for future expansion to allow service to more children. It will also double to two the number of children who can be assessed at the same time.
“This project is critical for the organization's success, and more importantly, for the well-being of the children and families in the community,” says Antkoviak.
The goal is to move into the new space by mid-February 2023.
Matching challenge
More than $1.7 million has already been raised toward the goal of $2.3 million. To help reach that goal, the Allegan County Community Foundation (ACCF) has announced a matching challenge for Safe Harbor CAC’s Lighting the Way Capital Campaign. For every dollar donated by the community, ACCF will match it up to $50,000.
"The foundation recognizes that it takes the community to protect kids and values Safe Harbor, a place for children to heal. To create a healing environment for children in our community, more individuals need to contribute toward this goal," says Antkoviak.
Safe Harbor CAC is a nationally accredited, nonprofit organization that provides children with hope and healing through an array of services at no cost to the victims or their families in Allegan, Barry, and Van Buren counties.
Donations for the new facility can be made on the Safe Harbor website,
https://safeharborcac.org/a-future-of-hope-healing/. For more information about the Allegan County Community Foundation, visit
www.alleganfoundation.org.
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