LAGUNA HILLS : Team Opens Second Child Abuse Shelter

The Child Abuse Service Team opened its second site Wednesday, dedicating an 18-room facility that along with its original center will serve 25 law enforcement agencies countywide.

The new center, at 23117 Plaza Pointe, will provide South County residents with a much-needed shelter for abused, neglected and battered children, officials said.

“The growing population of South County dictates the desperate need for this place,” said Cathy Campbell, CAST program director. “We wanted to provide a place that was geographically compatible.”

On Wednesday, about 100 local officials, health care and social service experts toured the 3,000-square-foot office.

With the new center, police officers from South County cities will no longer have to bring victims up to its office in the city of Orange, Campbell said. CAST’s facility in Orange has handled 2,900 abuse cases since 1989, with 35% from South County, Campbell said.

“It’s long overdue,” County Supervisor Thomas F. Riley said. “With the growing population and traffic problems, it will be a big help.”

Funded by federal grants and countywide public and private donations, CAST provides a nurturing atmosphere for abused children who may be called on as witnesses in court. A CAST specialist interviews the victim while police officers, attorneys and health officials, watch from a screening room, saving the child from having to frequently repeat a description of a traumatic experience.