Originally published in The Vacaville Reporter on , 2016 By Kimberly K. Fu.
Kimberly K. Fu — The Reporter Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abrams addresses the crowd gathered for the grand opening of Courage Center II, the county’s child advocacy center in Fairfield.
Victor the Lion roared Monday, honoring the bravery of youth abuse victims and recognizing the grand opening of Courage Center II, Solano County’s child advocacy center.
Located inside the Solano Family Justice Center on Empire Street in Fairfield, the center will serve as a one-stop resource facility for children who have been victimized. Victor the Lion, the center’s mascot, is their champion, named for a 5-year-old boy who saved his 3-year-old sister by telling his parents he had witnessed her being abused.
“Victor’s courage was nothing short of remarkable,” said Lisa Lewis-Javar, a forensic nurse and the center’s executive director. His roar, she continued, serves as a call to arms to aid children.
Earlier this month, the county’s Board of Supervisors unanimously gave the District Attorney’s Office the green light to go forward with the facility, sister to the Courage Center in Napa, as a one-year pilot project.
Kaiser Permanente partnered with the facility and gave it a $90,000 grant for its first year.
Dr. Christine Thomas with Kaiser emphasized the company’s strong belief in child advocacy and in helping victims of domestic violence, which is why, she said, the organization got involved.
The center is slated to be a safe, child-friendly place where abused children will be interviewed by professionals trained to work with them. It will support a multidisciplinary team of professionals — from law enforcement to medical practitioners to forensic interviewers to interpreters and the like — to be used on each case. Meaning all resources, from medical examinations to in-person interviews, will be conducted here.
The last similar facility was the Rainbow Center in Vacaville, which closed in 2009.
Courage Center II features warm decor, comfortable furnishings and Wizard of Oz-themed art on the walls.
“It’s much more kid friendly,” explained Vicky Rister, a former Rio Vista police officer and the district attorney’s investigator dedicated to the center. “We want them to feel comfortable, we want them to open up. We want them to trust.”
Hayley Armstrong with Courage Center II agreed.
“We want every child who comes in the center to feel love, joy and safety now and in the future,” she said.
The center also features hand-sewn patient gowns by 12-year-old Katelyn Hernandez of Napa, who comes from a law enforcement family.
She and her grandma made the clothing because they wanted to help, she said, and because both love to sew.
Sen. Lois Wolk thanked everyone involved in the center for their efforts, and all personnel involved in child victim cases for their tireless work and dedication.
“It’s a very complex and heartwrenching situation that you have,” she said, of the cases. “You do the Lord’s work, all of you. … We have a lot of children who hurt, far more than we know. So thank you, all of you.”
