A child advocacy center is being set up in Blair County, with its new program director having started the job Monday.

 

Before, children who were involved in abuse cases would have to travel to Bellefonte, but now with a local center, children won’t have to travel or be interviewed multiple times. The center’s new Program Director Ashley Owens said these changes will benefit the community.

 

“Rather than the child being interviewed by everyone involved, they are only going through one interview,” Owens said. “Then hopefully the prosecution will be able to take that information and charge and prosecute the perpetrator to the fullest extent of the law… that way, our community is safer. So, the community will be better for everyone when people are held accountable and when children feel safe and feel taken care of.”

 

Her first job will be to hire a forensic interviewer and get them trained.