Regional victim advocacy center on the move in Sheboygan. Here's where and what to know.
SHEBOYGAN PRESS
The child advocacy center hopes to open in the Uptown Social by the end of the year.
SHEBOYGAN – A victim advocacy center could move into a vacant space at Uptown Social, 1817 N. Eighth St., by the end of the year.
Saukville-based Lakeshore Regional Child Advocacy Center plans to occupy a roughly 5,000-square-foot area in the building with designated observation, medical, forensic interview, advocacy, therapy and family meeting rooms.
“This new space will help any child, teen or adult in need of services due to abuse or violence be put on the path to healing and resilience,” LRCAC Executive Director Amanda Didier said in a campaign video for the Sheboygan facility.
Partnering with human services, law enforcement, prosecutors, medical and mental health providers, the facility will offer trauma-informed services for individuals and families experiencing abuse and neglect.
LRCAC has operated a satellite facility out of the Sheboygan Police Department since late 2020, where it has been able to serve more than 600 children in the area. But a growing need for services has called for a larger space.
Sheboygan County has had the most CAC forensic interviews conducted each year compared to Ozaukee and Washington counties since 2017 and Manitowoc County since 2020. The county's demand for services accounts for 40% of CAC patients served at all sites.
In the campaign video, District Attorney Joel Urmanski said he’s witnessed the work done by the Sheboygan CAC hold individuals accountable in criminal cases. On top of that, the trauma-informed approach has created a more positive experience for children involved in cases.
“The CAC has done an incredible job making us a better, safer community,” Urmanski said. “And I’m so happy that they have a footprint and a location in our county. And I hope that they stay here forever.”
The Sheboygan CAC is working on a $2.5 million capital campaign for the new space, with funding allocated for construction, furnishing and a three-year operating budget. More than half of the funding has already been reached, according to Didier.