Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Monday, November 5, 2007 Honor for child advocacy center Dawson Place should have an easier time raising money to help abused children in Snohomish County. By Jim Haley Herald Writer EVERETT -- Dawson Place, Snohomish County's child advocacy center, has won an endorsement that is expected to make it easier for the organization to obtain money to continue operations and to acquire a permanent home. "It means we're officially in the big leagues," said Mark Roe, a Snohomish County deputy prosecutor who has long backed the facility. "We're now able to tap into all sorts of knowledge and resources and grants all over the country." Prosecuting Attorney Janice Ellis last week announced that Dawson Place received accreditation from the National Children's Alliance. Accreditation is offered only to child advocacy centers that show a proven record of investigation and treatment of victims in child-abuse cases. Dawson Place, named after former prosecutor Seth Dawson, opened in June 2006 and has seen hundreds of youngsters who may have been abused. Achieving accreditation within 16 months of operation is "very unusual," said Ellis, who heads the steering committee for the nonprofit organization. Dawson Place brings together people who work in a variety of disciplines that focus on bringing child abusers to justice and helping victims become healthy. That includes law enforcement and prosecutors, state Child Protective Services, and experts in physical and mental health. "We've been recognized as a quality service provider and at the forefront of children's services nationally," said Dusty Olson, advocacy supervisor for Providence Intervention Center. Accreditation will make no difference in the day-to-day operation of the facility, which is in downtown Everett. However, accreditation "is just a recognition of the quality services we have long provided here in Snohomish County," Olson said. "It's the gold standard across the country." The difference from the past is that all the services are in one child-friendly location. That's a boon for an anxious parent who no longer has to take a child from place to place and watch a child repeat what happened to different professionals, said Bill France, a longtime child advocate for the prosecutor's office who worked on the accreditation process. "I think the county should take great satisfaction and pride" over accreditation, said France, who recently retired. Working at Dawson place not only is more efficient but also a lot more fun for the workers, he added. "A lot of boundaries are getting merged," France said. "It's a good public-private enterprise." In addition, for families of abused children, locating the various services in one place is something that can't be overrated, France said. The organization's program coordinator, Mary Wahl, said the achievement endorses the way interviews are conducted and the physical and mental health examinations of children, all aspects of the operation. "It means we have achieved a level of competence recognized nationally," Wahl said. The accreditation endorses the quality of work, Ellis said. "We think we do a good job, but this really confirms it," she said. Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or haley@heraldnet.com.

1. Happy memories comfort family of injured Everett woman 2. Boeing Machinists earn their $150 weekly strike check keeping the line fed, fired up 3. Businesses eagerly await sailors' return 4. Marysville-Pilchuck blitzes Lake Stevens 5. Preservation effort divides Everett's oldest neighborhood 6. Boeing Machinists: Welcome to McNerneyville 7. Will Frye start for Seahawks? 8. Washington prep football scores for Oct. 10 9. Granite Falls police catch suspect in car thefts, burglary 10. Beach shows Silvertips why they missed him 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Shorecrest upsets Meadowdale behind fine defensive effort • 'Free' solution to costly problem? • King's beats Archbishop Murphy, takes over lead in Cascade Conference • One sweet training program • Who says white men can't rap? • Anonymous parent salvages snacks at school • Court move's plans raise questions • Jackson prevails in overtime thriller • Meadowdale's Moore-Taylor runs wild • Paine Field airline service strongly supported by 71 percent of web surv ... • Verizon launches FiOS TV in Washington State • Leisure Time Events - September 2008 • September 2008 • State needs to establish north county campus to meet growing technology ... • Future software programs may be based online • Visit two unusual Paine Field aviation museums for historic and futurist ... • Mothers launch Kids ‘N’ Clay pottery studio to provide children with cre ...