By: Kari Radjewski, director of Marketing & Communications
When a child needs help after experiencing abuse or neglect, the care they need rarely comes from just one place.
Doctors, counselors, advocates, and investigators all play different roles—sometimes immediately, and sometimes weeks or months later when concerns come to light.
But for this system to work, every part of it must have the capacity to respond.
Through targeted grants to Avalon Healing Center and Kids-TALK Children’s Advocacy Center, the Children’s Foundation of Michigan is helping strengthen that system of care across Wayne County. These supports expand each organization’s ability to serve children while also reinforcing the connections between them, ensuring families can move more smoothly from immediate care to ongoing support.
Immediate care when its needed most
At Avalon Healing Center, specially trained medical professionals are available around the clock to care for children and adolescents who need immediate medical attention after an assault. These exams provide compassionate medical care, document injuries, and help connect families with additional services that support recovery.
With support from a $50,000 grant from the Children’s Foundation of Michigan, Avalon is expanding its capacity to care for young patients, which make up nearly one-third of its cases. Funding supports specially trained pediatric nurses, along with the equipment and supplies needed to provide care for more children.
Children receiving care through Avalon may be seen at three locations across Wayne County: Avalon Healing Center, the Children’s Hospital of Michigan, and Kids-TALK at The Guidance Center, ensuring that care is accessible to families when they need it most.
Care that happens immediate after crisis
Not every child receives care right away. Sometimes it takes time before a child is able to share what happened, or for families to find the support they need.
That’s where Kids-TALK Children’s Advocacy Center plays a vital role.
As the only Children’s Advocacy Center in Wayne County, Kids-TALK provides medical exams, counseling, and support services for children and families, especially in situations where concerns about abuse come to light after some time has passed.
The center works closely with law enforcement, healthcare providers, and child protection agencies to coordinate care and ensure families have access to the services they need.
With a $100,000 grant from the Foundation, Kids-TALK is expanding clinic availability and increasing the number of medical evaluations it can provide each year as it continues to see a grow in demand. This additional capacity helps reduce wait times for families and ensures that more children can receive timely care and support.
Connecting care for families
While each organization serves a different role, their work is deeply connected.
Children who receive immediate care through Avalon may later need follow-up medical evaluations, counseling, or advocacy services. In many cases, Avalon refers families to Kids-TALK, where children can receive additional support in a child-focused setting.
Together, these organizations form an important continuum of care, ensuring that children and families have access to the right services at the right time.
Support from the Foundation helps strengthen that continuum by expanding the capacity of both organizations and ensuring that families do not face unnecessary delays in receiving care.
“Children who have experienced abuse deserve timely, compassionate care,” said Melanie Richards, director of The Guidance Center’s Kids-TALK Children’s Advocacy Center. “With the Children’s Foundation of Michigan’s longstanding partnership, Kids-TALK CAC is able to provide critical medical evaluation services that support both the health and healing of children in our community.”
Strengthening the safety net for children
Addressing child abuse and neglect requires more than a single program or provider. It requires a network of experts working together to support children and families at every stage of care.
The Children’s Foundation of Michigan is proud to partner with organizations like Avalon Healing Center and Kids-TALK Children’s Advocacy Center to strengthen that network.
Because when a child needs help, the entire system must be ready to respond.
