NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — The Child Advocacy Center of Niagara has received a three-year grant to provide critical services to children impacted by violence.
The funding of more than $1.1 million comes from the state's Office of Victims Services.
The new funds are set to be disbursed to the Child Advocacy Center from October this year until September 2025 with anticipated payments of almost $400,000 per year.
Center officials say the money will allow them to address the impact gun and community violence has on children in Niagara County.
"The support from NYS Office of Victim Services is imperative to the CAC’s mission and the mission of the larger Niagara County Child Abuse Intervention Project. Funding will allow for the continuation of free, timely, criminal/civil justice services, forensic, medical, mental health and victim advocacy services for the most vulnerable of victims, in locations close to their homes," said Shelley Hitzel, executive director of the Child Advocacy Center of Niagara.
The funding will also help support services for victims of domestic and sexual violence as well as human trafficking.
"In addition to continuing to provide critical services to children impacted by physical, sexual and domestic violence as well as human trafficking, the OVS funding will allow the Child Advocacy Center to begin to address the impact that gun and other community violence has on children in Niagara County," said Hitzel.
Those services include everything from mental health to criminal justice and advocacy.