New Building For Victims Of Child Abuse And Neglect

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ALLEGAN, Mich. — Perrigo announced Thursday that it’s giving West Michigan children an early Thanksgiving gift.

Safe Harbor Children’s Advocacy Center will be given a former Perrigo plant building appraised at $320,000 to expand services for victims of child abuse and neglect in Allegan.

“Perrigo’s donation of this building will light the way for children to light the way of healing after abuse,” Safe Harbor Executive Director Lori Antkoviak said at a media event Thursday.

The building is more than double the size of the current center.

Antikoviak said the building that Safe Harbor has been operating out of only allows three children to be cared for at a time and the new building allows significantly more children to be cared for since it’s designed to provide multiple services at once.

She said there will be rooms for children based on their age so they can be in an environment most comfortable to them when they have to do interviews that require them to share their experiences of abuse.

“All while law enforcement, Child Protective Services, and the prosecuting attorney will be able to watch each interview in separate observation rooms,” Antikoviak said.

She said this is significant because the different government agencies will be able to listen to the child’s interview at once instead of the child having to go to each agency to tell their story of abuse multiple times.

Perrigo said the building will include counseling rooms, forensic interview rooms, and a medical suite.

“Each of these essential services help children find hope and healing after abuse,” Antikoviak said.

Perrigo Vice President of Operation Strategies Pat Hodapp said at the media event that the company has a more than 130-year history with the Allegan community. The company is one of the largest employers in the area.

“I can’t imagine a more worthy cause than an organization that protects children and our future,” Hodapp said. “We want to ensure Allegan continues to be a safe haven for children and families across the region.”