Ground was broken Monday on a huge expansion of the Child Advocacy Center near 50th and Garland in Lincoln. Executive Director Paige Piper says the $5.2 million project will greatly enhance child abuse prevention efforts in Lincoln and southeast Nebraska
“We know it’s important to not address abuse as it is happening, but it’s a long road to recovery and it’s critical that we address the physical, emotional and mental aspects of abuse,” Piper says.
She says the 17,000 square foot expansion will feature the relocation of the Lincoln Police Department Special Victims Unit. “The entire second floor will be our be our Special Victim’s Unit Team so there’s space for 19 offices, a conference room, evidence processing. We’ll have our medical services and our training and prevention services.” Piper says they will hire full-time medical staff to allow them to provide medical exams to every child victim of abuse or neglect.
Piper says they will expand the Medical Program by implementing a process that allows the successful collection and secure storage of evidence from medical exams to be used toward the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators. There will also be the addition of a triage space for children being removed from their homes and awaiting placement in foster care.
Since opening its doors in 1998, the Child Advocacy Center has served 18,000 child victims of abuse and
neglect in Southeast Nebraska, resulting in a 3,303% increase over the last 23 years.
Piper says so far they have raised $3.6 of that $5.2 million goal. Construction will begin in about a month and they are hoping it will be open in about a year.
