YWCA Mohawk Valley (YWCA MV) was awarded $5,000 by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield to support the Herkimer County Child Advocacy Center (CAC). The award will be used to fund therapy services for survivors of child abuse and/or sexual violence.

“It is imperative to our mission that YWCA MV can provide services like therapy for survivors,” said YWCA MV CEO Dianne Stancato. “Therapy and counseling can be life-changing and life-saving opportunities for those impacted by violence, but unfortunately, they are also often inaccessible and costly.”

 

YWCA MV owns and operates the Herkimer County CAC. In 2023, the CAC provided 307 instances of therapy and counseling to a total of 59 individual clients. Across all programming at the CAC, YWCA MV provided just under 2,900 instances of service.

 

“We’re committed to supporting partnerships and initiatives that directly target mental health and wellbeing in the communities we serve,” said Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Senior Vice President of Provider Network Engagement and Regional President Tony Vitagliano. “We are proud to sponsor this program because it promotes healing for children and adults who have had their lives impacted by abuse in their youth.”

 

According to the National Children’s Alliance (NCA), more than 600,000 children are abused each year in the United States alone, with children in their first year of life make up roughly 15% of all victims. Child abuse is generally underreported; providers nation-wide have reason to believe that the actual number of children impacted every year is even higher.

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