Branch County Child Advocacy Center opens

BRANCH COUNTY — Two years after a group headed by the Branch County Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault started planning for a local permanent Child Advocacy Center, the Coldwater center opened on Jan. 1.

BCCADV Executive Director Kim Hemker said the organization managed to raise funds and plans to pay off the remaining $125,000 of the mortgage within two years, if not sooner. A May 4 fundraiser is set with the Coldwater Township Sunrise Rotary.

The center at 625 N. Michigan Ave. took over the former Hope Health Center after some fortuitous twists in the original plans.

Child Advocacy Centers are community-based, child-friendly, multidisciplinary services for children and families affected by abuse, primarily sexual abuse.

“The closest CAC was in Marshall," said Branch County prosecutor Zack Stempien. "This required families to travel to complete these interviews, which oftentimes was difficult.”

Traveling to Marshall or Battle Creek was inconvenient for abused children and their families. It required local law enforcement, prosecutors, therapists and advocates to take time to make the trip.

Before having the Branch County CAC, the prosecutor said local agencies did not send all children for forensic interviews.

“Now, it is a requirement that all children be interviewed at the CAC if they are suspected victims of child abuse or sexual assault. This ensures that all victims are being interviewed in an appropriate manner and compliance with the law,” Stempien said.

Hemker said the first act began with a grant for $17,000 for the necessary recording equipment.

“We wrote a grant, and McDonald’s charities of Southwest Michigan actually gave us the money” through the help of the Maynards, the local franchisee.

A BCCADV space in Quincy became the first center. The location needed to be less public and conducive for the purpose.

Last year, the BCCADV board approved a bid for $693,000 for a 40-by-70-foot building on the shelter house property. Hemker began fundraising with requests to local governments, organizations, and the public.

“We raised close to half a million dollars in pledges and cash. Pledges were over a three-year period,” she explained. Then last year, with Sunrise Rotary, “May 4 be with you” raised another $36,000.

More: Child Advocacy Center's 'May the 4th' fundraiser matched by local family

Before construction could start, Hemker was leaving the shelter house driveway. She spotted a "for sale" sign on the Hope Health building across Michigan Avenue.

Hemker called Realtor Angie Marsh, who is on the coalition board. Marsh negotiated a sale for $494,000 and closed the purchase in September.

Downstairs was renovated for the advocacy center to meet its specialized needs. Upstairs is used for offices for all the services for those seeking help through the BCCADV.

With pledges and some cash, the board signed a mortgage and continues to fundraise. The mortgage “is down to $125,000,” Hemker said.

The temporary Quincy CAC interviewed 60 children in its first year, 2021, compared to 65 last year.

“The coordinated approach has positively influenced the outcome of CSC cases,” Stempien said.

Using the temporary center last year, 20 of the 25 sentences for Criminal Sexual Conduct resulted in prison sentences, 70% of the prosecutions.

“Only one CSC complaint was reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, which involved a case of CSC fourth degree, a two-year felony. We are excited to continue to work with the local partners to offer this investigative tool to law enforcement,” Stempien said.

At the May event at the Dearth Center, BCCADV will educate attendees “to help change our society with people caring about each other, trying to understand how we can improve it for kids who have been abused and all these families,” Hemker said.

Subscribe Follow this project. Subscribe to the Daily Reporter.

Sponsors at the May 4 event covered the costs, so all money raised goes to pay the mortgage. Then in 2024, Hemker hopes, “we can have a celebration to say that it’s all paid off.”

Tickets, which are $30 per person, are available at the BCCADV or from Sunrise Rotary members. The 4:30 p.m. event has mocktails and appetizers to accompany presentations with silent and live auctions.

— Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DReidTDR.

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Branch County Child Advocacy Center opens with May 4 fundraisers set