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Grant will provide services to trauma-affected children, families in Southern Indiana

The Hazel & Walter T. Bales Foundation Inc., awarded a $15,000 grant to Family & Children’s Place on June 12, to support its work to prevent and stop child violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect in Southern Indiana and to provide compassionate and healing care to children and families that have been hurt.

“Because of the generous support we received previously from the Hazel and Walter T. Bales Foundation, Family & Children’s Place was able to help 533 children in Clark and Floyd counties in 2017,” said Pam Darnall president and CEO of Family & Children’s Place. That includes more than 1,800 hours of critical counseling for children hurt by violence, abuse, and neglect.

“The Southern Indiana Child Advocacy Center also provided 277 forensic interviews that allowed children who alleged sexual abuse to tell their story in a safe environment,” Darnall added.

But the number of children and families who need services such as provided by Family & Children’s Place continues to grow, said Josh Swetnam, vice president of Programs.

“In the last year, we’ve relocated our Southern Indiana Child Advocacy Center to a dedicated medical facility on the Baptist Health Floyd campus. We’ve expanded our Jeffersonville office, and launched an out of school time program at Hazelwood Middle School, but there still are un- and underserved children and families due to dramatic increases in abuse and neglect, and the impact of the opioid epidemic.”

This grant will ensure that Family & Children’s Place continues to provide critical life-changing help and support to Clark and Floyd County children and families suffering trauma due to abuse, violence and neglect, he added.

The Hazel & Walter T. Bales Foundation Inc., which funds Southern Indiana projects and programs that contribute to better communities, has supported the agency since 2011.