KSHB 41 reporter La’Nita Brooks covers stories providing solutions and offering discussions on topics of crime and violence. She also covers stories in the Northland. Share your story idea with La’Nita.
Missouri's most vulnerable victims could soon feel the impact of deep state budget cuts.
Agencies in Kansas City say reduction in funding could result in limited services at a time when demand isn’t going down.
That includes safe spaces like Child Protection Center (CPC), a child advocacy agency. Lisa Mizell serves the agency as president and CEO.
“Every child that crosses our door has experienced some form of significant trauma,” said Mizell.
That trauma requires a certain response for safety and healing. CPC is a child-friendly place where children and adolescents can begin to heal from their pain. Many of these children are the direct victims of sexual and physical abuse, while some have witnessed a homicide or extreme violence.
“Every service we provide here is free,” said Mizell. “I don’t care who you are, who hits your door and we will not change that.”
Their agency, along with many other victim's services groups across the state, stand to face a $25 million budget cut. The cuts are something they say would be detrimental not only to victims, but the whole community.
CPC faces $102,000 in budget cuts.
“That represents about 700 trauma-focused therapy sessions, it may represent 200 family advocacy sessions, could represent 150 forensic interviews that we would not have the funding to give to the families we serve,” Mizell said.
The cuts would also impact domestic violence services like Newhouse KC.
They work to shatter the barriers that feed the cycle of abuse and partners with survivors to achieve safety, self-sufficiency, and whole-person healing through their ecosystem of transformative services
Courtney Thomas is the Newhouse KC president and CEO.
“What we’re going to see is significant rise in cost and Medicaid emergency room visits, law enforcement, correctional facilities, the foster program, unhoused services,” said Thomas. “We will pay for it. Missouri will pay for it one way or another.”
These groups and others across Missouri are working to get $15 million of the budget cuts reinstated. With funding set to expire October 1st, they are hoping to have a budget confirmed by May.
“Victims that have been physically harmed, emotionally harmed, sexually harmed, it’s tragic to think about what would happen,” said Thomas. “When you couple that with the fact that Missouri ranks in the top 10 deadliest states for women to be killed by their abusers. Missouri ranks 8th in the nation for the most violent state, and Kansas City is in the number one seat for the volume of domestic violence calls that are received.”
The groups are asking the community to reach out to their legislators and ask them to reinstate those funds.
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