CASIE Center receives major grant to expand critical programs for child victims

 

The CASIE Center, which is an essential organization in the St. Joseph County community assists law enforcement and county prosecutors in forensic interviews of children who are victims of physical or sexual abuse.  

The organization which is dependent on grants and donations is excited to use the over 697,000-dollar donation to create new programs that they say will help improve the lives of child victims. 

Executive director of the CASIE center Carolyn Hahn Kremer is excited about the gracious donation the child advocacy center has just received.  

The Lilly Endowment Incorporated recently provided a grant of over 697,000 dollars to the non–profit organization, over the next three years. 

“We've never received a grant this big before,” Carolyn tells ABC57 News. 

According to Carolyn, the CASIE center has helped 699 children since January first of this year, and on average helps over one thousand children a year.  

The CASIE center has been trying to expand the services it provides to children who are victims of sexual or physical abuse, but it needs the funding to do so.  

After a child goes through a traumatic experience and takes part in the forensic interview, the center lacks the ability to provide immediate mental health services.  

This donation changes that and allows the center to address that issue. 

“We want to make certain is that after the interview that they've now disclosed, potentially, you know, some pretty horrific things, that they have access to some kind of immediate mental health services. This would provide it the immediate short-term care while we're waiting to get them into longer term appropriate services,” explained Carolyn. 

The CASIE center will now be able to launch a county-wide child abuse prevention program for children grade k through 12. 

They will also expand their truancy Prevention program, which aims to keep kids in school.  

The CASIE center is extremely dependent on donations and grants and says any amount matters and makes a difference. 

Carolyn explains why the center is important for everyone in the community. 

“Casey Center is here for all the children; anyone can be a victim of an allegation of child abuse or neglect. And we want to be here and be ready and provide the best services that we can for everyone, all the time.”