May 24, 2008
By James D. Wolf Jr. Post-Tribune correspondent
VALPARAISO -- After more than 15 months of work, primarily by volunteers, Porter County has a new tool in the fight against the abuse of children.
The New Sights Child Advocacy Center, a converted farm house set up to make children comfortable while they're interviewed, held a Friday open house and ribbon-cutting.
"It's a culmination of a lot of months of hard work," said Cheryl Polarek, one of the driving forces behind New Sights' creation as both a deputy prosecuting attorney and president of Prevent Child Abuse Porter County.
Besides providing a more pleasant atmosphere for the children than a police station or government office, the center has a video system connecting a neutral-colored, sparsely decorated interview room on the main floor with a command center on the second floor.
The video system not only makes a record of a child's testimony for court, it allows police officers, social workers, prosecuting attorneys or others to watch the interview in real time.
An earpiece on the interviewer will allow those watching to help direct the questioning.
The center has about 320 children's services workers and detectives trained in "Finding Words," a national protocol for getting children to talk about abusive situations.
The system cost about $30,000, paid for by donations.
The work and materials to improve the building cost about $150,000, mostly in donated materials and volunteer work, said Jean Edgeman, vice president for Prevent Child Abuse who will schedule interviews and run the center.
Polarek began talking to the Porter County commissioners about renting the old house between the Porter County Fairgrounds and the Porter County Jail in December 2006.
In March 2007, a 10-year rent-free lease was signed. The organization just pays utilities and the necessary improvements and maintenance to the house.
"The last time I was here, I thought this place was about to fall down," County Commissioner Robert Harper said just before cutting the ribbon.
But the work isn't just the building, Harper said. "We are so lucky in Porter County that we have the type of people who volunteer."
The children's services department, police and others put time into the project.
"Everybody is pulling their oars in the same direction," Porter County Prosecutor Brian Gensel said. "That makes it a lot easier -- it makes it a lot nicer -- to work in this system."
He credited Polarek with much of the success. "Cheryl just did an amazing amount of work. It was her vision," he said.
Friday's ribbon-cutting means the center is ready. However, no interviews are scheduled yet.
"We hope to never use it, but if we have to, it's here," Polarek said.