A light snow is falling as we type, big, fluffy flakes. It's Christmas. We present "The Nativity" by Federico Barocci. That ox knows something.
In other news, the Winona Daily News reports WSU child protection center gets $1.22 million federal grant. The National Child Protection Training Center has found both a private partner and public funding that will put the innovative program for preventing child abuse on more solid footing:
A Winona center nationally recognized for preventing child abuse says it’s back on firm financial footing following a recent infusion of federal and private dollars.
The National Child Protection Training Center at Winona State University should receive $1.22 million from an earmark in a federal bill approved in Congress last week. President Bush has said he will sign the bill, said a spokesperson for Rep. Tim Walz, D-Mankato.
The appropriation was critical for the center, which in 2006 received no federal money and was denied a federal grant.
The funding drought forced the center to temporarily lay off employees, said Jim Schmidt, vice president for advancement at WSU.
“This shot in the arm is just in the nick of time,” he said.
Founded in 2003, the center has been hailed for its unique approach to teaching law-enforcement and social service workers how to recognize, investigate, prosecute and prevent child abuse. The center operates training programs in 18 states and is slated to move into a state-of-the-art headquarters on the WSU campus this spring.
Yet director Victor Veith acknowledged the center was in a difficult financial position before finding a pair of new funding sources in the past two months.
In November, the center gained a private partner in the National Association to Prevent Sexual Abuse in Children.
The infusion of both private and federal funds should keep the center operating for at least two more years, Veith said.
Veith said the funds also will go toward the center’s curriculum and its “Finding Words” program. . . .
The National Association to Prevent Sexual Abuse in Children put out a press release about the funding:
. . .Ted Thompson, Executive Director of NAPSAC and the foundation that supports its activities, said “the money is especially welcome after federal funding had dried up in past years. With this money the Center, in its partnership with Winona State University, will be able to reach and train many more child protection professionals throughout the United States.” Thompson added that “the long term vision of the Center is to have four regional training operations on college campuses in theUnited States
Victor Vieth, director of the training center, said “This money will allow us to expand our work across the country. In the year ahead, we will provide training to over 10,000 child protection professionals, will assist dozens of universities in implementing model undergraduate or graduate child protection curricula, and will grow our forensic interview training program—a program that will positively impact a million children by the end of this decade.”
Thompson, who praised Congressmen Walz and Oberstar as well as Senators Klobuchar and Coleman for making the training center a priority in their funding requests, said “while we recognize the budget constraints faced by Congress, the NCPTC effort is critical to our overall mission to end child abuse for all time.” Adding that “these leaders recognize this investment will reap huge rewards for society both in terms of healthier, more productive citizens, and dramatically reduced financial cost associated with abuse in the future.”
What good news for children and those who work for their safety. Meanwhile, we recommend (what else) The Heifer Project year round for those who wish to help kids and their families in other countries.
Merry Christmas!
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