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City, County, Community Leaders honor new social service center in Gateway at the recent opening LEE PERLMAN THE MID-COUNTY MEMO They say success has a thousand fathers (and perhaps as many mothers), and they all seemed to be at the opening of the Multnomah Countys Childrens Receiving Center last month. The center, a new structure on East Burnside Street at 102nd Avenue, will provide shelter for up to three days for children, age three to 12, who have been removed from unfit or abusive households by the police or courts. It has 16 beds, a kitchen, and a library equipped with computers. It is part of a 3.5-acre Gateway Childrens Center campus. The adjacent Child Assessment Building provides offices to a variety of public and private social service agencies. A third building is being renovated as home for the Multi-Disciplinary Team, consisting of members of the Portland Police Bureau, the Multnomah County District Attorneys office and the state Child Abuse Hotline. Together, these services will assess the children and determine the best medium to long-term placement for them. The Christie School will contract with the county to run the center. Director of the new Childrens Receiving Center is Craig Opperman, currently Christie School Director of Community Programs. Child welfare advocates have sought a facility such as the receiving center for decades. They relayed horror stories of children already traumatized spending hours in police cars being shuttled from one office to another while social workers sought a place to put them. Longtime advocates present for the celebration included former County Commissioners Pauline Anderson and Sharron Kelley, as well as current County Chair Diane Linn and Commissioner Lisa Naito, City Commissioner Dan Saltzman, and District Attorney Michael Schrunk. The Portland Youth Philharmonic Quartet and the Christie School Choir provided entertainment. A rude beginning
Most of the Hazelwood board was on hand at the grand opening. Chair Arlene Kimura said of the building, They did a nice job. Its very child-friendly, not institutional. Saltzman, Naito and Opperman acknowledged the neighborhood leaders. Naito said that Cooley and Kimura welcomed us with open arms. |
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