MONTGOMERY — Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded $42,017 to ensure that young victims of physical or sexual abuse in Butler, Crenshaw and Lowndes counties have access to free, professional care to help them recover.

The Butler County Child Advocacy Center will use the grant to support its Safe Harbor’s Child Abuse Therapeutic Services program. Safe Harbor provides multiple services to help children recover from abuse, and the agency also works with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to ensure abusers are held accountable for their crimes.

“Violence against a child should never happen under any circumstances,” Ivey said. “Programs like the Butler County Child Advocacy Center are there to help children and their families recover and lead healthy, normal lives.”

Safe Harbor uses trained forensic interviewers to speak with victims in a child-friendly setting. The interviews are monitored by investigators and prosecutors, eliminating the need for multiple interviews and preventing added trauma for the victims. Additionally, Safe Harbor staff provides counseling and other services to help in the recovery.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant from funds made available to the state by the U.S. Department of Justice.

“ADECA shares Gov. Ivey’s commitment to helping abused children receive the services they need to recover from the crimes committed against them,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA supports the work of the Butler County Child Advocacy Center to answer the call when a child is hurting.”

ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, victim programs, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation.

-30-

Contact Jim Plott or Mike Presley