The Mission of Friends of the Salt Lake County Children's Justice Center is to empower child victims of crime and their families to transform trauma into resilience.
They do this by fundraising to support the programs at the Salt Lake County Children's Justice Center which serves and supports more than 1,600 children and 2,000 family members each year.
Services are available to children from the time they're able to speak through age 18.
At the heart of the CJC's work is a team of expert professionals who conduct forensic interviews using state-of-the-art recording equipment.
These interviews are designed to be non-leading and child-centered, ensuring that children can safely shae their stories in their own words while minimizing the number of times they have to recount their trauma.
Before the interview process, each child receives a medical exam to reassure them of their health and safety. They are also connected with trauma-informed therapists.
A multidisciplinary team of professionals—including law enforcement, child protective services, prosecutors, and medical and mental health experts—carefully reviews each case. This collaborative approach ensures that offenders are held accountable while the child and their family receive the resources they need for long-term healing and stability.
Sierra Chao, with Friends of the Salt Lake County Children's Justice Center, says, "It's easy to believe that child abuse isn't happening in our community—but the reality tells a different story. At Friends of the CJC, we do more than fundraise; we are dedicated to raising awareness and empowering our community to take action. Together, we can create a safer future for children."
That message is especially important as we head into April, which is Child Abuse Prevention Month.
They'll be taking donations in the month of April, and for every dollar raised, they will hang a paper butterfly on the wall at the CJC's North location in Downtown Salt Lake City.
Sierra says, "So for example, if somebody wanted to donate $20, they would be responsible for 20 butterflies decorating the walls at the CJC. Butterflies are a universal symbol of hope, and by giving during April, our community can be a huge part of the reason why child survivors can experience hope!"
They hope to hang 25,000 butterflies!
You can visit friendsofcjc.org to make a donation and to learn more.
And if there are any folks eager to make a bigger contribution this year, they can email Sierra directly at director@friendsofcjc.org
