According to a press release from Weber County, the new center, located at 1845 Jackson Ave. in Ogden, recently received a $300,000 donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The center is anticipated to be completed in May.

The CJC is meant to provide a space where children who are victims of crimes can more comfortably interact with investigators.

“The proceeds (from the donation) will go toward providing services for children who visit the center, such as recording equipment for forensic interviews, medical equipment for exam rooms, specialized furniture for interview rooms, comfort items and mental health services,” states the press release.

Reed Richards, local advisory board chair and Utah Children’s Justice Centers founder, said during the facility’s groundbreaking last year that traditional police departments lack the kind of space the CJC will offer.

“Before we had the centers, investigations were done, typically, in police departments,” he said. “A child, even a very young child, was brought into the police department or sheriff’s office. They were put in front of a desk and asked questions, and I observed a number of those that really had a difficult time saying anything. They were just overwhelmed with the intensity of it all, with the emotions of what had gone on and just the scary nature of being in a place that they weren’t familiar with.”

The press release elaborated on how the CJC will function going forward.

“Specially trained forensic interviewers speak with the children about the alleged abuse they have experienced, the release stated. “The goal is to minimize trauma to the child by reducing the number of times a child may have to talk about his or her experiences. When the child returns to their family, school or community, the anxiety has been greatly reduced since they no longer feel like they are hiding a ‘secret.’ The child and their family will continue to receive support services, such as therapy, medical care and victim resources as needed.”

It added that there is a lot of collaboration helping the facility to meet its goals.

“The CJC has an on-site examination room which houses medical professionals from Primary Children’s Hospital’s Safe and Healthy Families Department who safeguard children’s health and collect forensic evidence,” the release stated. “The multi-disciplinary team, which includes law enforcement, DCFS, prosecutors, mental health specialists, school district professionals and staff from the CJC, reviews every case to ensure that all that can be done, is done. The team is under the direction of the Weber County Attorney’s Office.”

Last month, Jessika Clark, Weber County public relations manager, told the Standard-Examiner that exterior work was finished and crews were working on landscaping and the building’s interior.

“On the interior, cabinetry, the ceiling and painting are almost complete and flooring has begun,” she said. “We’re still waiting for some very important electrical gear, so the building is currently using temporary power and heat. We hope to have the electrical equipment by the end of the first week in March. After installation, we’ll have a more concrete date for when the new CJC will be open to the public but currently anticipate that it will be open some time in May.”

Additionally, she said there will be a very personal touch to the building.

“The county, with the gracious help of the Friends of the Weber-Morgan Children’s Justice Center Board, has entered into an agreement with Ogden Contemporary Arts to curate and deliver beautiful and soothing artwork that is intended to comfort children, their families and the CJC staff,” she said. “OCA is also going to provide ongoing art workshops that are intended to be therapeutic.”

A ribbon cutting for the facility is slated for sometime in May.