The Wetzel-Tyler Center for Child Advocacy will hold an open house for the public April 24, 3-5 p.m., at the Family Resource Network in Middlebourne.

Designed as a neutral setting for interviews for children who have been sexually and/or physically abused, the Wetzel-Tyler site is one of 13 currently in development around the state. Only four accredited CACs are currently in operation in West Virginia.

“These sites are designed to be as stress free as possible for victims,” said Mary Jo Dombroski, community services manager.

The CAC is designed to be a “one stop” of sorts, coordinating all essential components involved in cases, including law enforcement, victim advocacy, mental health, medical, and prosecutors. However, victims will deal with, in most cases, one person trained to conduct interviews. The room, designed to be neutral for both genders and subject matter, can be monitored from an adjacent room, allowing questions to be fed in as needed, but keeping the number of persons directly associating with the child to a minimum.

All interviews are monitored and recorded so victims are not questioned over and over.

“And, it doesn’t have the stigma attached to it like being dragged into a jail,” Dombroski said.

Since the equipment has been installed, the facility has already been used in its intended capacity.

“Ideally, if accredited, we’ll try to meet the needs of the child in every way. This location acts as a hub for all services needed,” she said.

If accredited, the Legislature has set aside $1 million in grants for the coming year with $75,000 to $100,000 earmarked for the four accredited sites and $25,000 to $35,000 for sites currently in the process of establishing services, but not yet accredited. The money will be distributed through West Virginia Child Advocacy Network, the state’s umbrella organization for the CACs.

The current hold up lies in the bill’s wording. At present it stipulates that all monies to be received must be spent prior to receiving them, but, as a Tyler County FRN VISTA volunteer reported, it is hard for centers currently not accredited to receive a line of credit.

The open house will be part of recognizing April as national Child Abuse Awareness and Neglect Prevention Month.