Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Images by Al Blanton
A ceremony was held on Thursday, April 16, to announce an expansion project for the Walker County Children’s Advocacy Center. Local leaders say this project will strengthen services for child victims of abuse and neglect while creating a more supportive environment for care and healing.
The Walker County Children’s Advocacy Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving child victims of physical and sexual abuse and neglect. The center provides a child-focused setting where law enforcement, child protective services, medical professionals, and counselors work together to investigate cases, provide treatment, and support children and their families through the healing process.
The planned addition, which is expected to cost about $350,000, will enhance the center’s ability to serve children by adding space and improving the environment in which that work takes place. The expansion will include more private and appropriate spaces for forensic interviews and counseling, expanded room for multidisciplinary team coordination, and a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) exam room so children can receive services locally in a more comfortable setting.
Walker County District Attorney Bill Adair, who also serves as president of the Walker County Children’s Advocacy Center board, said officials hope to begin the expansion within the next couple of months.
Funding for the project has already received a major boost. The Walker County Commission and the City of Jasper have each contributed $125,000 from opioid settlement funds.
“The County Commission supporting this is just simply a passion we have as a group to support the children of Walker County because they are our future,” said Walker County Commission Chairman Steve Miller. “Walker County is thankful for the work that the Children’s Advocacy Center does, and we’re here to support the Center now and in the future.”
Johnny Sudberry, Executive Director of the Walker County Children’s Advocacy Center, said the expansion has been a long-held goal.
“Ever since I walked in the door eight years ago, this expansion has been the discussion and the dream,” Sudberry said. “We started out wanting to be able to provide a space for SANE exams, but when the board started discussing it deeper, we realized the ultimate dream also included a quieter space to conduct our forensic interviews.”
Sudberry said road noise at the current site can interrupt sensitive interviews, especially when children are soft-spoken. The new interview room will be placed on the back side of the property to help create a quieter setting. The project will also provide a larger space for the center’s multidisciplinary team to meet and train, as well as bigger office areas to support daily operations.
“It means everything to me to see the community come together and support this movement, and my heart is overflowing today,” Sudberry said.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, who spoke at the ceremony, said child advocacy centers play a critical role in helping children begin to recover and in strengthening the work of investigators and prosecutors.
“Child Advocacy Centers are a wonderful resource. They are a unique tool in which we can provide resources to kids, both counseling and preparation for trial, as well as eliminate the need for multiple law enforcement or prosecutors to meet with kids to discuss what took place,” Marshall said. “We want a one-stop shop that provides kids one opportunity to be able to speak with trained forensic professionals, and then give those resources to those who can find accountability.”
Marshall said the expansion will not only improve care for child victims but also give law enforcement and prosecutors additional tools as they pursue justice.
“When you see the dream here of being able to add the ability to do a physical examination from a trained sexual assault nurse examiner, again, it provides additional evidence and tools for prosecution and law enforcement in doing their job to hold offenders accountable,” he said.
He also emphasized that the impact of abuse extends well beyond the initial investigation or a criminal conviction, making long-term support essential.
“There’s no doubt significant harm occurs to a child as a result, not just physical harm, but dealing with mental health,” Marshall said. “That didn’t go away right away. And in fact, it’s an ongoing process for them as they continue to grow up. … That continuity of care is extremely important.”
Once complete, the expansion is expected to improve privacy, coordination, and access to care for children in Walker County, while allowing more services to be provided locally. WL
To learn more about the Walker County Children’s Advocacy Center, visit walkercountycac.org.
