Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center Reaches Goal to Fund Expansion

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Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center, the region’s leading resource to prevent abuse, protect children and heal families, has reached its $5.2 million goal for “Above and Beyond: The Campaign to Help Children Soar.” The campaign, announced in May 2017, has funded the construction of a second full-service center East of the Cooper and is funding the current renovation and expansion of the center’s original location in downtown Charleston. Once the project is complete, the Center will be able help 3,500 Lowcountry children every year.

“This campaign will allow us to serve twice as many children in the Lowcountry,” says Dr. Carole Swiecicki, Dee Norton’s executive director and CEO. “Projections show the need for our services doubling in the next 20 years. We are confident that with this expansion we can help change the lives of children in the Lowcountry for years to come.”

More than 224 donors supported the capital campaign, chaired by Caroline and Harry Johnson, through gifts and pledges. The Rice family made the campaign’s lead gift of $1 million to kick off the campaign. Anita Zucker, CEO of The InterTech Group, was also an early investor in the campaign with a gift of $500,000. The Center met a $500,000 challenge set by the Roper Saint Francis Physicians Endowment/Medical Society of South Carolina and received an additional $500,000 grant from the organization upon completion.

“We are thankful for all of our donors that invested in the lives of Lowcountry children,” says Beverly Hutchison, director of development and marketing at Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center. “Children can, and do, heal from the effects of abuse. By supporting this campaign, our donors are giving Lowcountry children the future they deserve.”

New East of the Cooper Location

In August 2018, the new Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center at Long Point was opened. The layout, informed by engineering processes, provides a more comfortable and supportive environment for children and families. This Center now provides all of Dee Norton’s services with forensic interview rooms where children receive non-leading interviews to discover what, if any, abuse occurred to them and a medical suite staffed by MUSC Children’s Health professionals from MUSC’s department of child abuse pediatrics to provide medical exams. This location is able to help 1,500 children every year.

After extensive research, the center chose the East Cooper location due to statistics showing only 36 percent of children in the area were getting the help they needed after trauma or abuse. Only 21 percent of children in the Daniel Island and Cainhoy area were getting the help they needed. The 677 Long Point Rd. location is improving accessibility for that underserved population.

Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center at King Street

Work is currently underway on Dee Norton’s original location at 1061 King Street. The project consists of a renovation with improvements to the existing building and construction of a 1,200 square foot addition. The design and décor will mirror the new Long Point Center to create a seamless experience between the two locations. This Center is expected to be complete in early 2019. Once completed, this location will be able to treat 2,000 children every year, a 33 percent increase.

To learn more about the Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center, visit www.DeeNortonCenter.org.

About Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center

The Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center is the region’s leading resource to prevent abuse, protect children and heal families. Primary services include forensic interviews, medical examinations and mental health assessments as well as immediate support and coordination. The center also provides evidence-based therapy to child victims and their families. For more information, visit www.deenortoncenter.org.

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