LONGVIEW, Texas (KLTV) – The Martin Home Youngsters’s Advocacy Heart is increasing with the assistance of one million {dollars} in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
In response to the Youngsters’s Advocacy Heart of Texas, over 61,000 youngsters had been served in Texas in 2020. However in 2021, that quantity jumped to 68,000.
Roxanne Stevenson is the chief director of the Martin Home in Longview. She says the rising numbers additionally might be seen in East Texas.
“We’re seeing circumstances of extra youngsters sexually performing out in opposition to youthful youngsters. We’re seeing increased incidents of youngsters accessing youngster pornography. And so we actually must develop new packages that may cease abuse earlier than it even begins.”
Martin Home would want to fulfill these wants with a brand new facility. They wish to increase their workers of 14 members to 25. They’ve outgrown their present house which is housed in duplexes.
Member of the board of administrators Michael Clements Jr. says plans for the improve have been ongoing for the previous three years.
“When you simply stroll within the Martin Home facility you possibly can see actual fast that this isn’t an satisfactory place for such a service to be occurring.”
The plan is to construct within the lot subsequent door and the present duplexes could be housed by different nonprofits. The price of the challenge is estimated to be round $8 million.
At as we speak’s Gregg County Commissioner’s Courtroom, the Martin Home obtained $1 million in ARPA funds.
“As for the remainder of the funding, it’s going to have to return from a really beneficiant neighborhood. We shall be making use of for grants as nicely. And we’re actually excited for the way forward for not solely our group however all the youngsters and households.”
Martin Home plans to work on funding the challenge for the subsequent two years and hopes to have the brand new facility by the yr 2026.
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