Areas of expertise & Fields of activity:
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Economic and Social:
Children
Crime Prevention
Criminal Justice
Family
Justice
Violence
Youth
Gender Issues and Advancement of Women:
Advocacy and outreach
Trafficking in women and girls
Social Development:
Social policy
Youth
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| Geographic scope: |
National
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| Country of activity: |
United States of America
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| Mission statement: |
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| Year established: |
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| Organizational structure: |
Victims of child abuse in Montgomery County come to Mission Kids (MK) when they are brave enough to tell someone they have been abused. MK’s trained staff coordinates and supports a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) made up of Montgomery County's District Attorney (DA), police departments and Child Protective Services in their collaborative investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases. MK's programs support and enhance the County's coordinated response to child abuse and provide additional support for victims and their non-offending caregivers. All child victims of alleged serious physical or sexual abuse or witnesses to violent crime in Montgomery County are referred to MK where neutral, fact finding Forensic Interviews (FI) are conducted in our secure and child friendly facility. The interview consists of a trained professional talking with a child regarding concerns or allegations of maltreatment in a developmentally appropriate, non-threatening, non-leading manner. MDT members observe the interview from a nearby conference room while it is being conducted and recorded. MK served 579 Children and their families in 2017. MK offered its Victim Advocacy (VA) services to 100% of the child abuse victims served in 2017 and their non-offending family members. At all times, the physical and emotional well-being of the children MK serves is the number one priority. MK is an integral part of the safety net within the child abuse investigative process. MK’s Victim Advocates (VA) coordinate services to ensure a consistent and comprehensive network of support for the child and family. Disclosure of abuse is just the beginning of a process that can be frightening, disruptive and economically devastating. MK’s VA program provides victims and their non-offending caregivers with the support, information, and community resources they need. VAs address the immediate practical problems created by the victimization, acting on behalf of the victim with other service providers, anticipating possible stressors, providing accurate up-to-date information and ensuring continued access to rights and services. The VAs link families to medical and mental health evaluations and treatment, coordinate services, and schedule appointments. After the victims leave MK, our VAs continue to make regular follow up contact and accompany our victims to court. For the past decade, Mission Kids has focused on supporting Montgomery County victims of child abuse by streamlining the investigatory process in a safe setting, while putting abused children on the road to healing faster. However, there is more work to be done beyond the county’s borders. Starting in 2018, the executive structure at Mission Kids was strategically changed with Abbie Newman named as the CEO of Mission Kids. This allows Ms. Newman, the former Executive Director, to build partnerships across the state and even the country to advance child advocacy policies and practice. In her new role, Ms. Newman leads the effort to build state and national partnerships and push for legislation at all levels that supports child abuse victims. As part of her new responsibilities, Ms. Newman works at the local, state, and national levels to develop more effective protocols for working with minor victims of human trafficking. Though Mission Kids is expanding our vision, our focus remains on the children of Montgomery County. To replace Abbie Newman, Leslie Slingsby, previously the Associate Director, will take the reins as Executive Director and will be responsible of the day-to-day operations and growing the center’s impact and services for child abuse victims within Montgomery County. |
| Number and type of members: |
Mission Kids Board of Directors consists of 34 Community Members who are experts in the fields of finance, business, social service, medical, media relations, government, and philanthropy. Mission Kids Staff consists of 14 Full-time Employees and 1 part-time Employee. Mission Kids employs Forensic Interviewers, Advocates, Development Staff, a Case Coordinator, a Finance Manager, an Administrative Assistant, along with our CEO and Executive Director. |
| Funding structure: |
Funds from other Non-Governmental Organizations
Funds from Religious Institutions
Fundraising campaigns
Fees for education and training services
Grants from Governments
Fees for providing consulting or research services
Donations and grants from domestic sources
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