It’s not clear if that’s because child abuse is increasing in Warren County or if abuse is happening at the same level it has but is just being reported more often. Katelyn Hecei, the center’s family advocate and MBT coordinator, told Warren City Council members recently that there is a silver lining in the increased use the center is seeing in 2025 – more children are being helped.

“It is Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month this month, so we are making an effort to get into the community as much as possible,” Hecei said. “Right now, as far as numbers go, we are up about 13% over what we were last year. So we are attributing that to not only prevention, getting out there and talking about it. We know that our mandated reporters are doing their trainings that they’re supposed to and although that statistic of 13% might seem like a big jump, it actually means that 13% more children are getting the services that they need from us.”

The Children’s Advocacy Center figures prominently in several high-profile child sex abuse cases that have been reported in recent months, often providing a place where children can feel comfortable being interviewed by police officers about horrific incidents. Hecei said that the center does more than just provide interview space. The center is active in helping children who have witnessed violence or who have been in a home where drug abuse is happening. Melissa McLean, the Children’s Advocacy Center director, was unable to speak to council members because she was attending training.

Hecei said such training helps the Children’s Advocacy Center interview children in a trauma- and child-friendly manner.

Tiger, the Warren Children’s Advocacy Center’s facility dog, is pictured in a tuxedo at a recent fundraiser hosted by the Warren Eagles Club.

“It really is a cause that’s near and dear to a lot of people’s hearts in the community,” Hecei said. “I know a lot of people don’t like to talk about child abuse, but it is something that happens every day. Every day one in four children are abused in some way before the day that they turn 18, so that’s a huge statistic. … I think that’s really important to speak about and to make the community aware of it.”

Hecei said agencies involved in child welfare work together on many cases, with involvement from Court Appointed Special Advocates, area police agencies, mental health providers, Child and Youth Services and the Warren County School District.

“We try to provide the family with the most well-rounded case management we possibly can,” Hecei said.

Among the ways the Children’s Advocacy Center can help is through its Sunshine Fund, which allows the agency to purchase children clothes if their clothes have been taken as evidence in a case or a phone if their phone is taken as evidence during an investigation.

“We are able to buy them never the same phone they had, but at least it’s something to get the family through,” Hecei said. “Nobody wakes up in the morning and expects their child to be abused and nobody ever expects to have to pay all the things that come with it. We’ve also helped get mental health providers on board with waiting for victim’s compensation to compensate them as opposed to the family having to pay that, so there are a lot of resources that we have in our pocket.”

Hecei reminded council members of the center’s joint fundraiser with CASA on Sunday, a road rally starting in Crescent Park by the Four Flags monument. Carloads of families and friends attempt to find their way around a predetermined course using cryptic and silly clues. The rally is not a race, but instead is a leisurely ride of less than two hours. A donation of $20 or more per car is requested.

A recent fundraiser by the Eagles Club netted $13,000 for the Children’s Advocacy Center. That money will help line up additional services in the near future.

“It was incredible,” Hecei said. “So that has definitely helped us get a bunch of more services lined up for for

kids – we already had the money spent.”