“No child should ever have to deal with such a horrible crime, but when those crimes do occur, there is help available,” Ivey said. “I commend the staff of the Russell County Child Advocacy Center for their dedication to helping children in the recovery process.”

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Justice.

“Gov. Ivey continues to show her dedication to crime victims in Alabama, and ADECA joins her in commending the Russell County Child Advocacy Center for their service to child victims in their community,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said.

Along with grants, the organization relies on local, private donations to ensure that these free services remain available year-round.

Ivey notified Greg Allmendinger, the center’s board president, that the grant had been approved.

ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, victim services, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation development.