The Bivona Child Advocacy Center is expanding. That organization, which works on issues involving child abuse investigation, education and prevention, already has operations on Mt. Hope Avenue.
On Wednesday, officials announced they are opening a 2nd location to provide services at Skyview on the Ridge in Irondequoit this fall.
The President and CEO of Bivona, Daniele Lyman-Torres, said the new location will focus on prevention services.
“That’ll include ongoing mental health services for children who are survivors, adults who are survivors, parents, caregivers, but also we will be doing a lot of parent training for parents who are at high risk for being involved in child abuse or child welfare system,” noted Lyman-Torres.
The new facility is being funded with the help of a $1.5 million donation from two local philanthropists, Mark and Maureen Davitt.
The program there is named the Mark and Maureen Davitt Beacon Place in recognition of that gift. A statement from the Davitts said that, “By offering support, counseling and protection, we can help our children to try to reclaim their stolen childhoods.”
Lyman-Torres said that what is troubling is that the number of child abuse cases coming into Bivona has not been declining in recent years.
“What we're seeing a lot of is systemic failure of getting to parents who are already in other systems, parents who are in substance use disorder system, mental health, domestic violence, well, they have children, and they're not getting the support they need for that, they're getting it for the other issue, and it's compounding the abuse and neglect that we see,” said Lyman-Torres.
The announcement of the additional location for Bivona came on the same day representatives from 24 partner agencies took part in the annual formal signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding.
Bivona Child Advocacy will also be hosting a Child Abuse Summit on April 24 and 25 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center.
