Wayne County has recently created a Child Advocacy Center locally, after affected families have had to seek services from out of town locations like the Bivona Child Advocacy Center in Rochester in the past.
Located at 22 Lawrence Street in Lyons the building should be fully operational by the end of the month according to an article published by the Finger Lakes Times.
The lack of services is something that had been previously discussed, and after receiving a $350,000 grant through the state Office of Children and Family Services in partnership with the Office of Victim Services, Wayne County was finally able to open a CAC in their own county.
By having a CAC in the county, children can discuss the trauma with a trained professional one time instead of multiple times with cops, lawyers and social workers.
Obtaining the Lawrence Street location showed a successful example of public-private partnership. Mark Humbert, head of the Wayne County Land Bank, showed the property, in desperate need of renovation, to the team heading the project. They decided it had potential and were helped by Lyons businessman and philanthropist Bob Ohmann. The location happened to be Ohmann’s childhood home, and his mother one of the county’s first child abuse investigators.
Ohmann put about $200,000 into renovating the home and a plaque recognizing his mother, Mary Ohmann, will be placed on the porch of the home. He will be reimbursed for the costs and is taking no profit on the work he put into the property.
The home has various age appropriate rooms for children in need of services and is fully staffed, being overseen by a member of Family Counseling Services of the Finger Lakes. Wayne County now has the means to provide adequate services to child abuse victims.
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