Today, the West Virginia Child Advocacy Network (WVCAN) released its Statewide Data for the 2024 fiscal year (July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024). The data in the report reflects service from West Virginia’s 21 Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) which provided official service to 47 of 55 counties in the state. A CAC provides a safe, child-friendly facility where child protection, criminal justice, and child treatment professionals work together to investigate abuse, hold offenders accountable, and help children heal.
During the year, CACs served 4,909 children – an 8% increase in new children served in the last five years. Locally, North Star Child Advocacy Center (NSCAC) did 570 forensic interviews, a 6% decrease from last fiscal year. NSCAC performed 28 medical evaluations and/or treatment of children, and initiated therapy or counseling for 118 children.
Some notables from North Stars 23-24 report include:
• 39% of the children served were there because of allegations of sexual abuse.
• 34% of the children served were there because of allegations of drug endangerment, 18% higher than the state average, and 30% higher than the national average.
• 44% of the children served by NSCAC were between the ages of 7-12 years.
• 27% of the children served by NSCAC were between the ages of 0-6 years.
• 96% of alleged offenders were someone the child knew. 47% were biological parents.
• 47% of children are reported to have one or more disabilities, 17% higher than the state average.
• Of the children interviewed, 79% disclosed abuse, the remaining did not.
• Cases with charges filed 54, up 10 from last fiscal year. This is the highest since the 20-21 report.
• 24 cases were indicted, 9 higher than last fiscal year. This is the highest since the 20-21 report.
• North Star’s operating budget is currently $605,389.00
o State Grants 23%
o Federal Grants 38%
o Municipal Funding (City of Vienna) 2%
o Foundations 14%
o Corporations 1%
o Donations/Fundraising 9%
o United Way 2%
o Other (training, etc.) 11%
“Although I realize these statistics are somewhat subjective, they give us a really good understanding of what we are seeing throughout the course of the year and help us make adjustments if needed in order to do a better job for our kids,” states Greg Collins, executive director of North Star. “I think the most important function of these yearly statistics is, it lets the communities we serve know exactly what we are doing. I think the education of the public on how bad this is leads to a call to action for many,” states Collins.
When asked about the reduction in forensic interviews, Collins says the answer is likely found in the restructuring of Child Protective Services and not a reduction in the need. “North Star, CPS, law enforcement and prosecutors maintain an open and frequent dialogue regarding what is occurring with our cases. In conversations with CPS last July after seeing the reduction occurring, it appeared that CPS’s efforts statewide to refining their whole organization, case priorities, and caseloads have the most to do with the decrease in forensic interviews. No one in our circle believes there has been a decrease in child abuse for sure,” states Collins.
Collins came to North Star in March of 2021 after retiring from the Parkersburg Police Department. He states that this is the first year since his arrival, that North Star has dropped below 600 forensic interviews in the calendar year. “Ironically, after some consecutive brutal years, 2024 was the healthiest, mentally and emotionally, I have seen my staff. With only six staff members doing the interviewing and the same staff members also doing family advocacy, it’s a heavy lift for them daily. Some months, the stories coming through the front door are gut-wrenching and don’t seem to let up. This staff, CPS, law enforcement, and prosecutors don’t get the credit they deserve for fighting these battles for kids who can’t fight them for themselves. That’s a fact,” states Collins.
In forecasting the future for NSCAC, Collins says if January is any indication of what 2025 will look like, North Star will be in for another heavy year. “During the month of January, with 21 workdays on the calendar, NSCAC did 49 forensic interviews with many being very tough. Keeping in mind North Star is a 24/7/365 center, our after-hours and weekend calls have increased as well,” states Collins. “Many a night or early morning, you can look in our parking lot and see it full of cars of North Star staff, CPS, and law enforcement that are coming together to help our children. When the case warrants, our prosecutors will be here as well, all in an effort to get the best results possible for our kids. The increase in numbers they are responsible for shows their efforts are paying off. We are all trying to do better. There are monthly meetings where all of the people mentioned above come together in each of the five counties we serve to talk about what’shappening with each and every case. Very few know about how work-intensive it is. These folks are heroes, simple as that,” Collins states.
Collins states that NSCAC is funded 61% by state and federal grants. He states that a month after his arrival in 2021, the previously healthy federal grant was frozen after it was revealed that it was in jeopardy of dissolving. It has remained frozen ever since with any growth that has happened coming strictly from local resources. The federal grant VOCA is currently 38% of North Star’s budget. If VOCA is reduced by 74% in October of 2025 as predicted, the VOCA funds going to North Star will go from $227,273.00 to $59,091.00, a reduction of $168,182.00. Collins states that since 2021, they have worked hard to try to make up for any predicted decline in grant funding, and the report outlines just that. “We have asked the local governments for budget assistance with the City of Vienna coming through. Our community has come to our aid with our donations and fundraising efforts now accounting for 9% of our budget. Our foundations continue to be a pillar for us accounting for 16% of our budget, with Sisters Health Foundation and United Way leading that effort,” concludesCollins.
The report includes data on victim demographics, alleged offender demographics, reported vs. disclosed abuse, services performed, criminal justice response, and CAC income budget breakdown. People can contact North Star at 304-917-4437 or via email nscac@northstarcac.org to get a copy of the full report or to learn more about how you can help. You can also visit them at northstarcac.org or follow them on Facebook or Instagram. People wanting to contribute an afterlife donation can contact the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation (PACF) to leave an endowment or a legacy gift.
West Virginia Child Advocacy Network (WVCAN) provides statewide leadership in the fight against child abuse while working side-by-side with the 21 child advocacy centers throughout the state. WVCAN provides training, technical assistance, leadership, legislative and policy advocacy, and overall coordination to child advocacy centers around the state. A CAC is a child-friendly facility in which child protection, criminal justice, and child treatment professionals work together to investigate abuse, hold offenders accountable, and help children heal. Rather than having a child taken from agency to agency to endure multiple interviews, the CAC model coordinated the response around the child for an effective, child-centered, healing process. As the statewide authority on multidisciplinary approaches to supporting child victims of abuse, WVCAN’s purpose is to empower local communities to provide comprehensive, coordinated and compassionate services to victims of child abuse.
