Phila. Agency Helping Child Abuse Victims Gets Grant For Mobile Interviewing
By Cherri Gregg
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Philadelphia agency that provides a kid-friendly place where child victims of sex abuse can deal with law enforcement, social workers, and prosecutors all at once will now be able to take its services to young victims wherever they are.
The nonprofit Philadelphia Children's Alliance is purchasing mobile equipment called iRecord, which includes a small camera, tripod, and a laptop computer.
"The camera streams the interview of the child to the laptop, and the laptop is in another room where you would have the mandatory investigative agencies, watching and listening to the interviews," explains executive director Chris Kirchner.
She says PCA will be able to set the equipment up in hospitals, residential treatment homes, or other settings.
"If a child is hospitalized because of injuries, you don't want to wait a week, because the child may not remember what happened in a week," Kirchner tells KYW Newsradio. "We just want to do everything we can to talk to them and find out what they remember as quickly as possible after the incident happens."
The equipment comes thanks to a $14,295 grant from Ronald McDonald House Charites. Kirchner says the equipment will be up and running early next year.
