A few Winona State Students
created this video in 2008. Although it was made before Matty’s Place opened, it gives a detailed description of the purpose and
atmosphere of Matty’s Place.
What is Matty's Place?
- Located in Winona, MN
- Currently Southeastern Minnesota’s only Child Advocacy Center (CAC)
- “Designed to minimize trauma to children, provide support and assistance to the entire family, and coordinate a community response to child abuse and maltreatment.
- Offers a safe, neutral, child-friendly environment
- Allows agencies (child protection, law enforcement, prosecution, mental health, the medical field, and victim advocacy services) to work collectively to properly investigate child maltreatment allegations and better care for abused and neglected children
- Offers services to help keep the family together and safe
(Family
and Children's Center, n.d.)
Development of Matty's Place
- In 2005, a committee was developed with representatives from the Winona County Attorney’s Office, Winona Police Department, Winona County Social Services and the National Child Protection Training Center (NCPTC)
- This committee looked at statistics of child abuse in Winona and surrounding counties to assess the need for a child advocacy center
- 296 child abuse reports were filed in Winona County in 2005
- 700 reports total filed in surrounding counties
- Family and Children’s Center got on board and absorbed it into their own center as one of their services
- Matty's Place officially opened in June 2011
(Matty's
Place, n.d.)
Who is Matty?
- Matthew Eappen 8-month-old from Boston, MA
- Abused and shaken by his 19-year-old nanny in 1997
- Died 5 days after entering the hospital with fractured skull and subdural hematoma
- Matty’s parents started the Matty Eappen Foundation to bring awareness to Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS)
- The foundation generously donated the initial money to fund Matty’s Place here in Winona
(Matty
Eappen Foundation, n.d.)
Services offered
- Forensic interviews: Following an abuse allegation, a trained specialist interviews the child. The interview room at Matty’s Place is a child-friendly, confidential space equipped with a camera and sound system so a child does not have to endure multiple interviews.
- Supervised visitation: Matty’s Place provides a safe, neutral meeting place for visits between children and non-custodial parents. Visitations are supervised by staff to ensure safety of the children and to document the interactions.
- Child exchange: Matty's Place provides a neutral location for parents to exchange children while working through custody battles.
- Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) meetings: FGDMs are facilitated meetings held at Matty's Place to develop a plan with families, case workers, and others involved. The purpose is to determine a course of action that will be in the best interest of the entire family.
(Family
and Children's Center, n.d.)
Contact Information for Matty's Place
601 Franklin Street
Winona, MN 55987
Phone: 507.429.0655
Fax: 507.457.9887
Email: cmeiners@fccnetwork.org
Website:Matty's Place
