$10,000

In 2024, Safe Harbor provided the following services for children in Allegan County:
5,547 children participated in body and online safety presentations
205 children participated in a fact-finding child friendly forensic interview.
56 children began their healing journey through therapy
13 children received a thorough body safety medical examination at Safe Harbor
19 Children had a Court Appointed Special Advocate Volunteer advocate for their best interest in the family court abuse and neglect system.

Officers
• Erin Bonovetz, Board Chair– Perrigo, Senior Vice President & GM, OTC, CSCA
• Bryanna Cope, Vice-Chair – Honor Credit Union Community Engagement Manager
• Gerard Durkee, Treasurer – Community Member
• Amy Cornell, Secretary - 48th Circuit Court, Family Division
Directors
• Frank Baker - Sheriff, Allegan County Sheriff’s Department
• F/LT Scott Ernstes, MSP, Paw Paw Post Commander
• Pamela Hartman, Allegan U-store
• Jennifer Hoffman – Padagis
• Janette Maki – D/Sgt Barry County Sheriff’s Department
• Kristy Milbocker – Community Member
• Julie Nakfor-Pratt – Barry County Prosecuting Attorney
• Shellie Park – Child Protective Services Supervisor, Department of Health and Human Services
• Tara Poore – OnPoint (Allegan Community Mental Health)
• Susan Zuiderveen- Van Buren County Prosecuting Attorney

Safe Harbor Children’s Advocacy Center provides a lifeline to victims of child abuse and neglect through prevention, intervention, treatment, and advocacy for child abuse victims in Allegan, Barry, and Van Buren Counties for children 0-17. At least 1 in 7 children have experienced abuse or neglect in 2020 according to the CDC. According to research, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be victims of sexual abuse or assault before they turn 18. Each year, the Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) provides over 200 Allegan County children a child friendly neutral environment to share their story of abuse through a multidisciplinary team approach. After sharing their story of abuse, children and families are offered several additional free services. All children and families meet with a family advocate who explains the investigative and court processes and makes referrals for additional services.
Safe Harbor also provides prevention education and trains volunteers for the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program. Prevention education staff teach adults how to protect children from abuse as mandated reporters of abuse and through the Stewards of Children program. Children learn how to identify safe and unsafe touches and to speak up about unwanted touches through classroom presentations on body safety and how to protect themselves from online dangers. CASA volunteers visit children involved in the family court abuse and neglect court system on a weekly basis to advocate for their best interest at each court hearing.
Together these free programs offered to children and families work to prevent child abuse and intervene for children that have suffered abuse.

Through West Shore Aware funding, we will be able to continue providing child friendly forensic interviews, victim advocacy, trauma therapy, and medical body safety examinations to the child victims of abuse in Allegan County. Over the past 5 years, an average of 210 Allegan County children come through the doors of Safe Harbor for child friendly forensic interviews, medical evaluations, counseling, and court advocacy each year. Creating a welcoming and friendly atmosphere is necessary for children amid their healing process. Both young children and teenagers need an environment designed specifically for them to feel safe. When children come to Safe Harbor for the first time, they can be nervous, anxious, and scared. From the moment they walk into Safe Harbor, they need to feel that this is a place for them to get help and healing.
Safe Harbor provides children a safe place to share their story through a child forensic interview and then participate in trauma therapy, advocacy, and receive a body safety medical exam. Each month, an average of 20 children in Allegan County participate in a child forensic interview. Without the CAC, a child alleging sexual or severe physical abuse would be interviewed separately by each investigative party – law enforcement, child protective services, and the prosecutor’s office. Each time a child must retell his or her story it re-victimizes the child and creates additional trauma. One of our goals at Safe Harbor is to ensure that each child will only have to tell their story once. To accomplish this goal, Safe Harbor coordinates the Child Abuse Investigation Team of Allegan County to observe the interview at Safe Harbor by closed circuit television. This multidisciplinary team is comprised of law enforcement, child protective services, the prosecutor’s office, medical providers, mental health providers, and Safe Harbor staff.
Prior to each interview our victim advocate calls the caregiver to explain the process and answer any questions. Safe Harbor’s victim advocate provides information to the caregiver and child regarding the overall process of the investigation and criminal or family court cases and provides any referrals for services the caregiver or child may need. Approximately, two weeks after each interview, the advocate makes a follow-up contact with the caregiver to address any additional questions or needs.
Our licensed therapists conduct trauma therapy sessions currently with 31 children each month, along with supervising masters level interns providing additional therapy and advocacy to children. The therapist provides a trauma focused approach to help children understand that the abuse is not their fault and helps them discover coping skills to use now and in the future.
Along with advocacy and therapy, Safe Harbor brings a child abuse pediatrician from Helen Devos Children’s Hospital to Allegan each month to perform body safety medical evaluations. Thorough and complete evidence collection during a single examination decreases the re-victimization to the child. This medical evaluation documents the victim's injuries which are important for all criminal and legal matters connected with the child abuse case. Medical body evaulations provide assurance to a child that their body is okay after abuse while determining if any medical evidence exists.
According to Prevent Child Abuse America, the negative experiences children face early in life can create a population that is less able to work consistently and productively. Prevention and intervention provide children the opportunity to experience childhood. Through Safe Harbor’s programs and services, children find the hope, help, and healing they need to have healthy, happy childhoods. If we want a thriving community, then we need to focus on the ability of our children to flourish.

Safe Harbor Children’s Advocacy Center requests $10,000 to support the CAC program. If Aware provided $10,000, this would consist of 2.3% of the CAC program budget, and 1% of the overall budget for Safe Harbor Children’s Advocacy Center. The CAC program budget is partially funded by the Victims of Crime Act funding, a State CAC grant, general fundraising efforts, and donations. As this is an essential component of the services provided to children, any funds received from Aware will provide a child friendly environment for child victims, an advocate for child victims in the court system and for additional services and provide therapy and medical exam appointments for children.

Safe Harbor Children’s Advocacy Center Funding Detail by Category:
Government Grants 78%
Fundraising 9%
United Way 5%
Foundation Grants 4%
Private Donations 3%
Corporate Donations 1%
Total 100%

Safe Harbor Children’s Advocacy Center provides a lifeline to child victims of abuse and neglect in Allegan County. The Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) is a child friendly safe environment for children to disclose their stories of sexual or severe physical abuse and to receive a multidisciplinary team approach including therapy, advocacy, and medical examinations. Without the CAC, a child alleging sexual or severe physical abuse would be interviewed separately by each investigative party – law enforcement, child protective services, and the prosecutor’s office. Each time a child must retell his or her story it re-victimizes the child and creates additional trauma. Having the investigative parties observe the interview through closed circuit television limits the number of times a child will have to tell their story during the investigative process.
Our advocates help caregivers and families receive the necessary information and services meeting the needs of the individual families. The therapist implements a trauma focused model to help children understand the abuse is not their fault. Our physician conducts the best body safety medical evaluation possible in Allegan County to help children know their body is okay. The families and children receive all these services for free.
Safe Harbor requests $10,000 to provide hope and healing to over 200 child victims and their caregivers through the CAC program.

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