After more than 20 years of helping kids in the worst of situations in Jefferson County, Ralston House is expanding its reach east into Adams County.
The nonprofit agency, founded in 1990 in Arvada, is now the official child advocacy center for the 17th Judicial District, which covers Adams and Broomfield counties.
Plans are also in the works to open a third Ralston House location in Northglenn, at the site of the former North Metro Children’s Advocacy Center at 2360 W. 112th Ave.
Between $250,000 and $300,000 in renovations will be needed before the location can open, said Don Moseley, executive director of Ralston House. Funding could come through a combination of grants, donations and local-government contributions.
Adams County clients currently are being served out of Ralston House’s Lakewood and Arvada sites, Moseley said.
“Everyone in the 17th is anxious to get something open as soon as possible,” he said. “It’s inconvenient to families to come all the way to Arvada or Lakewood. We want families to be served closer to home.”
Ralston House provides in-house forensic interviews, medical exams and victim advocacy for children suspected of being sexually or physically abused or witnesses of violence.
Children in the 17th Judicial have been coming to Ralston House for more than a year, Moseley said. A memorandum of understanding made the relationship official in May.
Signing on to the memorandum was the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Adams County Sheriff and all the police departments in the district.
“We want to make sure that children are not retraumatized by the process of being interviewed,” said District Attorney Dave Young, a strong supporter of the agreement. “Ralston House is a kid-friendly place. It’s a house and is like a home.”
As part of the agreement, Ralston House will also meet regularly with local law enforcement in the district for feedback and training, as well as do prevention work out in the community, Moseley said.
In 2012, Ralston House served 850 families, including 180-200 kids from the 17th Judicial, according to Moseley. This year, they are on pace to see 950-1,000.
Expanding into Adams County does not come without some financial pressures, but Moseley said he and the board of directors of Ralston House are happy to face them.
With the new facility in Northglenn, Ralston House plans to hire additional forensic interviewers and victim advocates. All services at Ralston House are provided free of charge.
“In the long run, it’s so many more kids safe. In the long run, it also helps hold perpetrators accountable,” Moseley said. “If we can take more perpetrators off the streets, that means all kids are safer.”
Northglenn Police Chief Jim May said his agency is excited to work with Ralston House and ultimately help more child victims come forward.
“It’s horrific crime, and when they walk in that door, that’s the first step in healing,” May said.
“I want to make sure we can do all we can to make sure these kids will be OK.”
Emilie Rusch: 303-954-2457, erusch@denverpost.com or
