Funding cuts close local Visitation Center

Van Wert independent/contributor content

For the past decade, the Van Wert County Family Visitation Center has provided a safe, neutral environment where children can be exchanged from one parent to the other or have supervised visits with a non-residential parent. That’s all coming to an end this week. After losing both local and state funds, the center will have to close its doors as of this Friday.

According to Executive Director Kathy Boaz, financial difficulties of the Visitation Center, which has operated as a service of Crisis Care Line/House of Transition, began several months ago when the agency learned it would no longer receive money from United Way of Van Wert County.

“The loss of United Way dollars was a serious blow to the VC budget,” Boaz noted. “Upon learning that our request for funds from Ohio Criminal Justice Services was also not renewed, we had no choice but to close the program. Crisis Care has no way to replace those revenue sources.”

Boaz said she wants the community to rest assured the agency’s hotline and shelter services will continue unchanged and urges anyone with a domestic violence concern to contact 419.238.HELP (4357).