Limestone, 4 other counties awarded grant

A $79,340 grant will help a Huntsville nonprofit organization help child-abuse victims in Limestone County.

“Victims need a helping hand as they recover from the horrors of abuse and begin to rebuild their lives,” said Gov. Bob Riley, who informed the National Child Advocacy Center of the grant. “I commend the center for offering compassionate support and services to children who have been abused.”

With the grant, the center will help child victims in Limestone, Morgan, Madison, Marshall and Jackson counties who have been sexually or physically abused.

Through the NCAC, a nonprofit organization, victims receive professional therapy. Center officials say the therapy sessions are crucial in helping children overcome the trauma of abuse.

Family members who are not involved in the abuse are given support, information and referrals to social service agencies that may be of assistance through the Family Advocacy program. The center’s advocates maintain contact with victims’ families for up to two years after the abuse.

The Child Abuse Medical Evaluation program provides medical exams to document and collect evidence for investigations. A specially trained doctor examines victims in a private, child-friendly facility at the center.

Riley awarded the grant from funds made available to Alabama by the U.S. Department of Justice. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs will administer the award.

Riley informed Chris Newlin, the center’s executive director, that the grant had been approved. The state will supplement the grant with $19,835 in matching funds.