If there's even the possibility a child might have been abused, they often must be examined, questioned and counseled as soon as possible.
That used to mean taking the child to the hospital, then the sheriff's office, to court for depositions and, eventually, to a therapist - all in different locations.
But an idea to make it easier for the child means all that help is now in one place.
At Mary Lee's House, children can be seen by child abuse experts from doctors and nurses to law enforcement officers to mental health providers.
The $6 million child advocacy center started seeing children last week. Based on a national model, its program has been proven to save taxpayers about $400,000, said Rex Farrior, whose mother, Mary Lee, founded the agency.
His mother got the idea for such a center after working with children's advocates through her social services agency, Reach Out Community Services, which she started in 1998. The program provided mental health services for children.
Hillsborough County chipped in $250,000; the city of Tampa gave $100,000. Aside from a little state money, Mary Lee Farrior rallied the community for the rest.
The two-story building on Armenia Avenue in West Tampa features an interview wing, closed-circuit television for testimony and depositions, medical exam rooms and other services. Agencies such as the Child Abuse Council, Healthy Families and the Healthy Start Coalition, St. Joseph's Hospital, the 13th Judicial Circuit Court, the Child Protection Team and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office round out the support.
"We are part of the solution," said Peg Reese, executive director of Mary Lee's House. "We will be here forever."
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement
Advertisement