Process set to build new Children’s Justice Center

By Sally Jack
Contributing Writer
Plans that are underway to build a new facility for a Children’s Justice Center in San Juan County are moving forward as hoped, with the goal of raising the needed $710,000.
A charity golf tournament to benefit the building of the new San Juan Children’s Justice Center in Blanding will take place this Saturday, September 12 at the Hideout Golf Club in Monticello, with a shotgun start at 9 a.m.
Entry fee is $400 per team ($100 per player) with a 4 Man Scramble format and includes 18 holes of golf, green fees, cart rental, lunch, and entry into door prize drawings and raffle. All proceeds directly benefit the San Juan County Friends of Children’s Justice.
When children experience abuse of any kind, and especially physical abuse or sexual abuse, a Children’s Justice Center (or CJC) is a safe, homelike child-friendly facility where children and their families or caregivers can go to receive help in the healing process.
Justice Centers bring professionals together in one place to coordinate the investigation, medical care, and support for child abuse victims.
And yes, there is a need for such a facility here in San Juan County. One of the most prevalent misconceptions about child abuse in our area is: “We don’t have a problem with that here.”
Yet all those who work with these children who have been hurt can tell a different story.
Tracey Tabet, Statewide Director of the Children’s Justice Center Programs in the Utah Attorney General’s Office, said, “I think people are always surprised to learn how prevalent child abuse is throughout the state of Utah. Unless it hits your family, or someone you know, I think people are just unaware.”
Robert Nieman, Director of Children’s Justice Center in San Juan County, relates, “It’s a hard subject to talk about, number one. We don’t want to talk about that kids can be hurt and affected like that in our community, and then not only that, but typically it’s a small community and so lots of people know—if there’s a suspect involved, they know who that suspect is, and they don’t want to believe that. I don’t blame them.”
Nieman continues, “I hope the CJC will stand for a point of healing and a point of addressing those issues so that when it does occur, we can address it, and we can take care of it, and it doesn’t happen again to somebody else. That’s the ultimate goal: we’re addressing a community issue that we don’t want to have. Nobody wants to have it.”
Tabet adds, “Having a CJC helps raise awareness of the fact that child abuse, in all its forms, occurs in every community in our state, and that gives us an opportunity to help families recognize warning signs and risks; having a Children’s Justice Center is really critical in starting the healing process and preventing future abuse.”
She notes that one in two children screened at CJC are high trauma, while two in five screen high for suicide risk, meaning they have made an active plan to end their lives. The Children’s Justice Center is a lifesaving service.
It’s tough when knowledge of child abuse comes to light.
“Some of the worst days for all concerned, is when all this starts to come out. Not just for the child but for the whole family,” says Nieman.
“That’s one of the big pieces of why I am really pushing to have having this building built, says Nieman.
“If I can stress one piece – The purpose of the CJC is not necessarily to go after criminals, or the suspects who are being blamed, it really is about the healing of a child.”
“There are a lot of variables within the criminal justice system that are beyond our control,,” says Tabet—
“One thing we know we can do is to support the child throughout the process.”
With the proper support, it really is possible for children to come through on the other side, healed and resilient.
Nieman adds, “Our success is measured, really, on the basis of a child being back in the community, feeling like they can be part of the community and do the things that they normally do; get back into school, and achieve their educational goals and grow up and become one of the outstanding members of the community, of which we have so many of.”
The beauty of small towns is lots of support. Robert relates, “Our numbers have doubled since 2024, which means we are being effective in terms of letting people know that reporting is an important part.
“I think that it speaks loudly that our community is healing, our community is realizing that, ‘Hey, we’ve got something here.’ I think it’s an important piece. The community has really improved in terms of making sure that we are protecting our children.”
A satellite branch of the Grand County Children’s Justice Center, the CJC opened in Blanding in 2012 when the Sheriff’s office graciously allowed the Center to be located in the old Police Station.
State Director Tabet says, “We’re so grateful for their generosity and for supporting us being in that space all these years. It has definitely served its purpose. But it lacks a lot of the features that we want Children’s Justice Centers to have.
“With this one-time funding we have the opportunity to help communities like San Juan to have a Forever Home, a new building that will support all of the services associated with Children’s Justice Centers.
“A space that is very child friendly, inviting, and provides adequate privacy is our goal with this project.”
The new facility on the north end of Blanding will include a soft living-room-like meeting room where staff can meet the child and caregiver and get to know them a little bit.
It also has a soft interview room with a couch, chair, and decorations for a child to feel comfortable and an observation room (where a second party can pick up on any missed questions or any needed clarifications).
This is a room “that does not feel like a hospital” where medical exams can take place, with the “overarching goal to ensure that the investigation process does not cause further emotional harm to the child.”
These services (including transportation to the Center if needed) are provided at no cost to the families, and include all children ages 17 and under.
The county Children’s Justice Center covers children from Spanish Valley to Monument Valley, from Red Mesa, to Mexican Hat, La Sal, Monticello, Blanding, Eastland and all the outlying areas.
The San Juan County CJC has a network of services including the Sheriff’s office, Blanding City Police Department, San Juan Mental Health, Utah Navajo Health Services—which also includes traditional services and transportation, the Navajo Police and the Navajo Bureau of Evidence Investigation. They also work closely with the FBI, who is a part of the team as well.
Tabet, who is a San Juan County native, notes: “The state is so happy to provide funding for this venture, and the county is providing land for the project, and we’re all now just looking to the community to close the funding gap, so we can get this project done.”
Friends of the CJC Board oversee the programming in the county and help with fund raising projects to raise money for additional costs such as transportation for children to come to the facilities for help.
They include Chair Shelby Eldredge, Mackinzie Mashburn, Laura Kemner, Liz Major, and Ethan Pugh. They are all unpaid volunteers who have a connection and an interest in keeping the children in our county safe.
They would like to thank the Quilters Guild and all other groups and friends who have donated quilts, toys, and stuffed animals to the Center for the children. Donations are tax free and non-profit.
Shelby notes that if people would like to be on the CJC Board, they are welcome to come. The Friends Board can be found on Facebook.
According to Utah state law, everyone in the community is a mandatory reporter. “If you see something, say something.” Please do your part to help keep our children safe.
Report concerns to the Family Services Hotline at 855-323-3237.