SAFE HARBOR CHILDRENS ADVOCACY CENT
Providing a lifeline to victims of child abuse and neglect.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Everyday children in our community suffer unbearable physical, mental, and sexual abuse. Over 4,200 children are involved in child abuse and neglect investigations in Allegan County each year. According to research, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be victims of sexual abuse or assault before they turn 18. With close to 75 million children in the U.S. today, this means that almost 15 million kids will become victimized over the next 18 years. Through our different programs and services, children find the hope, help, and healing they need to go on to have healthy, happy childhoods.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
CAC Children's Advocacy Center
This program is nationally accredited through National Children’s Alliance (NCA). Children and teenagers are scheduled for an interview through Children’s Protective Services or Law enforcement. An interview is conducted usually by our forensic interviewer in the interview room which is recorded and observed. The forensic interviewer is specifically trained through the Michigan protocol for interviewing children. During the interview, law enforcement, children’s protective services, and a prosecutor observe the interview and can make comments to the interviewer via an ear bug device. This prevents the child from having to tell about the abuse to several different people before the case even gets to court. After the interview the team discusses what the next steps are in the investigation and what services are needed – counseling or medical examinations. Counseling is available at our agency and can be scheduled after the first interview. Counseling is also available to child witnesses of domestic violence. Medical examinations are conducted twice a month at our agency through a contract with Spectrum Health, Helen Devos’ Children’s Hospital, Child Protection Team. This is a full physical exam which usually takes about 2 hours. We have a colposcope that allows the doctor to magnify any bruise or scrape and to take a picture of it.
CASA Program
This program is accredited through the National CASA and they provide the training curriculum. The Volunteer Coordinator interviews and trains the volunteers. This is a 40 hour training conducted over several weeks. After being trained, these volunteers are assigned to an abuse or neglect case through the family court in Allegan County. These volunteers visit with the child/ren on a weekly basis and submit reports to the court before each court hearing. It is the volunteer’s job to present to the court what the child/ren’s best interests are and the progress of the child. The volunteers meet once a month to discuss the challenges they face in their cases and to receive additional training.
Child Abuse Prevention
A staff member gives presentations to school children and parents about body safety/preventing child abuse, internet safety, domestic violence/healthy relationships. Each presentation is presented in an age appropriate format for the different age groups. The staff of Safe Harbor also provides trainings to those that are mandated by state law to report child abuse. Safe Harbor has three trained facilitators for the Stewards of Children program through Darkness to Light. Stewards of Children gives community members 4 tools and 7 steps to help prevent children from child sexual abuse.
Where we work
Accreditations
National Children's Alliance - Accreditation 2009
Awards
Accreditation 2009
National CASA
Affiliations & memberships
National Children's Alliance - Full Member 1994
National CASA 1998
External reviews

Our Sustainable Development Goals
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Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Safe Harbor offers a variety of services and resources to child victims and their families under one roof to eliminate the need for them to repeat their story to multiple people in multiple places. Without Safe Harbor programs, a child alleging abuse would be interviewed separately by each investigative party – law enforcement, child protective services, and the prosecutor’s office. Each time a child must retell his or her story it re-victimizes the child and creates additional trauma. Our goal is that each child will only have to tell their story once. Through teaching and training, coordinating funds and services, providing protection, offering medical care and counseling, investigating and prosecuting those responsible, and by offering children a safe harbor in which to heal, children find the hope, help, and healing they deserve at Safe Harbor CAC.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The children who are seen at Safe Harbor take part in a coordinated child abuse investigation where professionals from law enforcement, Child Protective Services, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, medical and mental health professionals at Safe Harbor, and the community, all come together to help victims. We provide the hope and healing the children and families need in our community through our three core programs. The Children’s Advocacy Center provides a safe and child-friendly atmosphere to allow a child to disclose their sexual or severe physical abuse and to begin their healing journey through advocacy, therapy, and medical examinations. The Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program trains volunteers who are then assigned by an Allegan County Judge to represent the best interest of an abused or neglected child throughout the family court process. The Prevention Education program teaches children body safety and educates adults about how to recognize and report child abuse.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Our centralized, welcoming environment allows us to provide hope and healing to children and their families through forensic interviews, counseling, medical examinations, victim advocacy, prevention education, and court advocacy. From a child’s initial disclosure to their last day of counseling, Safe Harbor guides them through their entire journey of healing. Because no child should have to pay for the abuse they have suffered, all of these services are provided free of charge to child victims and their families. To help accomplish our goals, Safe Harbor coordinates with the Child Abuse Investigation Team of Allegan County. This multidisciplinary team is composed of law enforcement, child protective services, the prosecutor’s office, medical and mental health providers, and Safe Harbor staff. This team also meets on a monthly basis to review the progress of each case and to determine the next steps.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Each year over 360 children come into Safe Harbor seeking hope and healing. Last year 366 children shared their stories of suspected abuse with our forensic interviewer. 20 children were connected with a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer to be a voice for them in family court. 47 children received a medical body safety check by a child abuse pediatrician from the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. Our children’s therapist worked with 63 children individually to help them through their healing journey. 8 Mandated Reporter Trainings taught 159 adults how to better protect children. Our Prevention Educator provided 5,033 children with information to help protect themselves from abuse and neglect through our body safety program. Since opening our doors in 1983, Safe Harbor has touched the lives of thousands of children in our community. Our agency has experienced significant growth, and will be renovating a new building during our 2019-2020 Capital Campaign to better meet the needs of the children and families in our community who need us most.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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SAFE HARBOR CHILDRENS ADVOCACY CENT
Board of directorsas of 04/14/2020
Erin Bonovetz
Director of CHC Business Development, Perrigo Company
Erin Bonovetz
Perrigo Co.
Myrene Koch
Allegan County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney
Gerard Durkee
48th Circuit Court Financial Coordinator
Frank Baker
Allegan County Sheriff's Department
Pat Hodapp
Perrigo Co.
Angelique Joynes
Allegan County Health Department
Amy Cornell
48th Circuit Court, Family Division
Jen Henrickson
Albemarle
Matthew Houchlei
Barry County Sherrif's Department
Jeff Pratt
Hastings Police Department
Shellie Park
Department of Health and Human Services