ALEXANDRIA, LA (AP) — More than once, Wade Bond describes the newly expanded Rapides Children's Advocacy Center as "child friendly" as he conducts a tour of the Albert Street building last month.
It's no coincidence, either. Making children as comfortable as possible is essential when they're visiting the center to retell their tales of abuse or trauma.
It's a mission that the center didn't achieve alone, he said. Bond, the executive director of the Rapides Children's Advocacy Center Inc., credited the Red River Delta Law Enforcement Planning Council Inc., which consistently has helped the agency through the years with its services.
The Huie-Dellmon Trust and Coughlin-Saunders Foundation, both in Alexandria, were instrumental in funding the expansion, which started in June and wrapped up in October. "They really made this possible," said Natalie North, the center's communications director.
V&V Builders in Alexandria was the contractor, and Bond called the company one of their "best advocates." The company worked with subcontractors who donated some supplies and services so that the project came in under budget, he said.
"This whole process, someone has been watching over us," said Bond.
And as the expansion ended, the center also got a new director. Brandon Parker, who has worked in law enforcement since 1997, started on Nov. 2.
He worked with the center while he was at the Pineville Police Department, and said the opportunity to help children is "an awesome opportunity."
He recalled a case of his that illustrated the point. One interview was done at the center, while another wasn't — a night-and-day difference, he said.
"It really is invaluable, from a law enforcement perspective."
What the center does is provide a place for children at the center of physical or sexual abuse cases to tell their stories to forensic interviewers while being discreetly recorded. Detectives or Louisiana Department of Child and Family Services workers watch from another room and can communicate with the interviewer.
Children involved in criminal cases sometimes can be interviewed at the center, too. When over, the interview becomes evidence in cases and can be admissible during trials, said Bond.
With the expansion, the center went from one interview room to two. The center has stayed at the Albert Street location even as other programs under the agency's umbrella, like CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) have grown and moved elsewhere.
The renovation stayed true to the original feel of the building, which was a home at one time. When children come in for an interview, they're ushered into a room immediately to the right. It has toys and books to keep kids occupied during the wait, along with a huge mural that covers one wall. A large window lets in natural light.
Children get popcorn and drinks before their interview, a tactic used to relax them and to prevent hunger from being a distraction during the process. Bond said that when it's time for the interview, a staff member will escort the child back.
"We're up front as to who we are and what we doing, and they know exactly what's happening through the entire process," he said.
The smaller interview room is a contrast to the waiting room, no decorations or toys. A large pad of paper hangs on one wall, while a seating area is along another wall.
The smaller space helps focus attention, said Bond. And then, children are allowed to tell whatever tales they have.
"This place provides the opportunity for a child to retell if something happened, but it also provides a place for a child to say nothing happened," he said. "As many times as we talked with children who have been abused, and they use this place to share what has happened, we've also had times where children use this place to clarify mistakes or accidents."
The children know that they are being recorded. Some are amused and enjoy that, while others take time to get comfortable. The forensic interviewers are trained to handle the situations, said Bond.
The center is used by law enforcement agencies from throughout Central Louisiana — from Natchitoches Parish in the north to Evangeline Parish in the south and from the Mississippi to Texas borders.
The center also has a mobile unit, a 35-foot bus that staffers used during the renovation. The mobile unit was added after the economic downturn that started around 2008, when the center's staff began to notice a drop in people coming to Alexandria. The reason was economic, said Bond. People couldn't take time away from work, and the price of gasoline also was a factor.
The expansion was part of a three-year strategic plan that the center's board of directors finalized last August. More services are planned to be offered in the future, and those could be announced at an open house the center plans for around the beginning of 2016.
"Our goal is to continue the original mission of the agency, creating a one-stop shop where children's needs are being met through multiple agencies coming together to address and support their time of need," said Bond.
And he said Central Louisiana continues to stand behind the agency.
"There's a lot of growth and prosperity within our communities, and the fact that people are willing to address child abuse and help these victims of a crime that is 100 percent preventable, it's a good community to be a part of."
– by AP/ Reporter Melissa Gregory with The Town Talk
