Child Protect awarded $950,000 grant

Sep. 20—Child Protect of Mercer County has been awarded a $950,000 federal grant to support programs related to protecting and helping victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault.

U.S. Senators Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., both members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced on Monday a total of $4,083,777 from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) for public safety programs in West Virginia.

The funding will support programs aimed at preventing and addressing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking, as well as enhancing victim safety and services.

"I am pleased to announce these critical investments from the DOJ that will assist victims and strengthen our justice system to enhance the safety of all West Virginians," Manchin said. "It is incredibly important that we work together to protect our friends, neighbors and fellow West Virginians from domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and a host of other issues that impact women in West Virginia and across the country. Earlier this year, I was proud to cosponsor the bipartisan Violence Against Women Act, and as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for additional resources to support related public safety programs across the Mountain State."

"Addressing, and ending, domestic violence in West Virginia has long been a priority of mine," Capito said. "I have consistently supported the Violence Against Women Act, helped lead reauthorization efforts on the legislation this year, and was thrilled to see its inclusion in our final appropriations package. It's great to see our state receiving needed support to coordinate safety efforts, directly addressing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in our communities. I will always advocate for the support our local law enforcement agencies need to prevent these crimes in our state."

Beth Sizemore, Child Advocacy Center program director for Child Protect in Princeton, said it is a three-year grant aimed at supporting and enhancing several programs.

One is the SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) program.

"They are specially trained nurses on call 24/7, 365 days a year," Sizemore said.

They respond immediately when a hospital calls and reports a sexual assault of a victim 13 years old and up.

"This grant will help fund that program to continue to have that expert response," she said.

The money will also be used for Child Protect's in-house medical room for "non-acute" medical exams that are performed at least 96 hours after an assault.

Sizemore said they are not exams related to gathering legal evidence in a case.

Rather, it is a medical exam to reassure parents the child's body is "whole and healed."

"It is less about the legal part and more about reassuring families," she said, adding that the exams can also uncover any medical problem not related to an assault.

Sizemore said some of the money will also be used to help fund a position in the Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney's Office as well as the SART (Sexual Assault Response Team), a multi-disciplinary group that meets quarterly.

Other recipients of grants include:

—$1,166,821 — West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety

—$949,487 — West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services

—$90,342 — West Virginia Coalition against Domestic Violence.

— Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com

Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com