Calcasieu DA’s office donates $100,000 toward expansion of advocacy center
The Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office recently donated $100,000 to help fund an expansion of the Children’s Advocacy Center at the Family and Youth Counseling Agency.
Roxanne Camara, vice president, said on Monday that the donation brings the project to 73 percent of its funding goal. The 7,200-square-foot expansion will provide more space to safely interview children who may be victims of physical or sexual abuse.
The original advocacy center was designed to have roughly 120 interviews per year, Camara said. That number has steadily grown over the years, with more than 660 children interviewed last year. She attributed that to the growth in the area, along with more residents being willing to report potential child abuse.
Camara said construction on the expanded center is expected to start sometime next year. She said the project will likely reach 80 percent funding before any work starts.
The donation by the District Attorney’s office was made to the Family Foundation of Southwest Louisiana, a philanthropic arm that benefits the expansion and other programs at Family and Youth Counseling Agency.
Officials with Delta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel presented a $200,000 donation in September to the Family Foundation for the advocacy center expansion.
For more, call the agency at 436-9533
Online: www.fyca.org.