Dunn County Multidisciplinary Team Receives $12,691 Grant From Department of Justice

Grant Money to Upgrade the Equipment in Their Child Forensic Interview Room

MENOMONIE – The Wisconsin Department of Justice, Office of Crime Victim Services has awarded the Dunn County Multidisciplinary Team a $12,691 grant to be used to upgrade the equipment in their child forensic interview room. The award is made possible through a grant from the Children's Justice Act (CJA) program.

The Wisconsin Children's Justice Act grant program is committed to improving the investigation and prosecution of child abuse and neglect. The program encourages county childcare professionals to work together to streamline the investigative process so that children who are victims of a crime are not further traumatized. Often, this is done by bringing together a multidisciplinary team of law enforcement and social service agencies who work together from the start of an investigation.

CJA grant funds can also be used to train law enforcement officers and social workers on how to conduct forensic interviews of children. Forensic interviews provide a number of advantages. They allow for the child to be interviewed once rather than repeatedly by numerous agencies. The interviews are taped and can be used in preliminary court proceedings, rather than having to have the child testify in a courtroom on multiple occasions.

“Working together streamlines the investigative process and reduces secondary trauma to child victims,” said Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. “I am pleased the Wisconsin Department of Justice can support these important programs and protect child victims.”

Dunn County shares the use of the interview room with over eleven law enforcement agencies as well as the Dunn County Department of Human Services.