United Way of Central Oklahoma welcomed The CARE Center to its network of nonprofit Partner Agencies during its regular board meeting on September 29. Based in Oklahoma City, The CARE Center is Oklahoma County’s only child advocacy center and provides education and healing services to thousands of children and families affected by child abuse.

“Sometimes the hardest thing a child can do is tell their story,” said Debby Hampton, United Way of Central Oklahoma President and CEO. “We’re so grateful to have The CARE Center as our newest Partner Agency because they make telling a difficult story a little easier for a child, and we are proud to support The CARE Center’s safe environment and vision to end child abuse in Oklahoma County.”

The CARE Center will receive $30,000 in funding from United Way of Central Oklahoma for its Victim Services program. This referral-based program provides a safe, comfortable setting for children who have suffered abuse to talk about their experiences with trained, compassionate interviewers. This trauma-informed process of evidence collection focuses on the mental health of children while supporting law enforcement in their investigations of child abuse.

“Our new partnership with United Way of Central Oklahoma is a point of pride for our organization, as we’ve worked hard to grow in service to more children and families at a time when the need for our services has been growing too,” said Stacy McNeiland, CEO of The CARE Center. “We are tremendously grateful to United Way; to be part of the generous community they’ve so lovingly cultivated is an honor.”

United Way of Central Oklahoma allocates donor dollars into the community through 102 programs at 54 Partner Agencies serving health and human service needs. All programs are thoroughly reviewed annually to ensure contributions are properly invested with the highest level of accountability.