The center also partnered with Project Jericho, which added new color schemes, themes and additions.
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The center, not normally open to the public, will invite the community for an open house to see the results, 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29.
“The community is concerned about the children. We all know somebody who is involved in something like this, and it’s good knowing there’s a safe place in our community for this, ” said Denise Estep, Supervisor II at the Family and Services Division.
The center serves about 40 families a month with an average of about 140 visits, some paying multiple visits.
Improvements include new toys and a playground as well as an upgraded basketball court. Another major upgrade was the installation of new video and audio equipment for improved safety and privacy.
To complement the surroundings, Project Jericho was invited to add original art.
Project Jericho is a collaborative program of the Clark State Performing Arts Center and the Clark County Department of Job & Family Services with additional funding provided by the Ohio Arts Council and the Turner Foundation.
Project Jericho turned to artist and designer Sherry Ringler, who has supervised several of its projects, to take the lead.
“A lot of great resources went into the design. It feels very thoughtful, not sterile anymore, ” said Kristi Limes, Project Jericho success coordinator.
Ringler worked with 45 Project Jericho students and adults last August and transformed a large room that now has a lodge theme, complete with papier mache deer head and corralled fence posts to encourage the kids to put the toys back.
“There were a lot of smiles and a lot of good times that went into it, ” Limes said. “It’s always a joy to bring a meaningful art experience.”
Several of the Project Jericho participants will be at the open house.
Given that the center is not open to the public, Estep hopes people will stop by to see the ways it’s serving families.
She added the visitation center is looking into future offerings including the feasibility of offering private-pay visitation services in 2017.
“The center currently only provides visitation monitoring to cases for children who are serviced through Family and Children services or the Juvenile Court IV-E agreement, ” Estep said. “There have been discussions with the adult court to offer services to cases where divorce parties may need supervision for a period of time.”
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