Vienna authorities include North Star Child Advocacy Center in budget

North Star Child Advocacy Center received a check for $15,000 from the city of Vienna. Pictured, from left, are Vienna Police Chief Carl Powell, North Star Executive Director Greg Collins and Vienna Mayor Randy Rapp. (Photo provided)

VIENNA — On Monday, North Star Child Advocacy Center received a check from the city of Vienna for $15,000.

The Vienna City Council voted to include North Star in the budget to support its mission. Of the 21 child advocacy centers in West Virginia, nine receive funding from the county and three from the city.

North Star is the largest and most active child welfare agency in the state. For the first time, it has been included in the local government budget.

“It’s one of those things that, 10 years later, you think that this was a defining moment in our history.” said Greg Collins, executive director of the NSCAC. “Being within budget means we can plan beyond the year. Our goal is to be able to implement services such as 24/7 on-site therapy. There are children who need therapy the day they are seen at the center, but with limited trauma therapy resources, they have to go on a waiting list. That is unacceptable to us. Unfortunately, we cannot hire a therapist when the money we receive is annual. It is clear that no one can work without long-term job security.” he said.

“The Vienna Police Department would like to express its gratitude to the Vienna City Council for its generosity” Said Vienna Police Chief Carl Powell. “The Vienna City Council voted to support the North Star Child Advocacy Center as part of their annual budget. North Star is a vital resource for all Wood County law enforcement agencies when investigating child abuse cases. These interviewers handle hundreds of cases per year involving children who have been physically and sexually abused. Interviewers receive specialized training in interviewing minors who have experienced significant trauma. North Star is funded primarily through grants and private donations from businesses/citizens in the community. Planning for the future is difficult when you don’t know your budget for the coming years. That’s why I applaud the Vienna City Council for taking action to help combat crimes against our children in Wood County.”

Local government support for North Star has been more widespread in the past few months. In February, the city of Vienna gave North Star a $10,000 donation following Collins’ presentation to the council. Collins also spoke before the Wood County Commission in November 2023, and a $10,000 donation came earlier this month.

“I don’t sell anyone what we do when I talk to them, I don’t have to. I present the facts, I give examples of abuses that we see every day and I provide statistics” Collins said.

On July 1, NSCAC lost its Encova (formerly BrickStreet) grant, which had been used for the past eight years, providing $50,000 per year, as it no longer exists. NSCAC’s VOCA (federal) grant has been frozen at 2021 levels. After several smaller but significant cuts over the past three years, the projected VOCA reduction by October 2025 is between 70% and 75%. VOCA makes up 42% of North Star’s budget. VOCA is a Victims of Crime Act Fund that was created by Congress in 1984 to provide federal support to state and local programs that assist crime victims. VOCA is not taxpayer funded, it is funded by fines/arrests of convicted felons.

Mayor Randy Rapp’s statement on the budget inclusion was short and to the point. “There is no higher priority for me than taking care of our children. Our entire City Council immediately supported this.”

Collins concluded: “My sincere thanks to the city of Vienna, the mayor and the council members. At the end of the day, these are our abused children that we see. Not the federal or state governments, these are ours. This is worse than anyone knows, I guarantee you. If we don’t intervene effectively, many of these children will likely be the next generation of adult problems that we are trying to fix.”

North Star is a nonprofit organization that, until it was incorporated into the city of Vienna, did not have a long-term, defined, sustainable source of funding. The money the center uses to operate comes primarily from federal and state grants, foundations, and donations from the public. North Star is an important piece of the puzzle of child investigation because it not only assists law enforcement, CPS, and prosecutors, but also focuses on the child and non-criminal family members, providing them with the support and tools they need to heal and be productive members of our community for as long as they need to.

People can contact North Star at 304-917-4437 or by email at [email protected] to learn more about how to help, visit northstarcac.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. People wishing to make a donation for the afterlife can contact the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation to leave a donation or a gift in the form of a will.

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