by Contributor | April 10, 2026 12:19 pm
OSWEGO – The Richard S. Shineman Foundation has awarded a $500,000 grant to the Oswego County Child Advocacy Center (CAC) to confront the alarming and persistent rates of child abuse in Oswego County. Notably, Oswego County ranks first out of all 62 counties in New York State for rates of child abuse, underscoring the urgency of this investment. This significant funding will expand critical therapy services for children and families and support the creation of a new Child Abuse Prevention Coordinator position—marking a major step forward in a comprehensive, prevention-focused response.
Data from Oswego County and regional partners continue to show troubling levels of child abuse and neglect, underscoring the urgent need for increased capacity, coordination, and prevention. This grant is designed to address the issue on multiple fronts: responding to children who have already experienced harm while strengthening the systems that can prevent abuse before it occurs.
“Child abuse is not a single-issue problem—it is a root cause that fuels a wide range of downstream challenges,” said Chena Tucker, Foundation Director of the Richard S. Shineman Foundation. “Unaddressed trauma can lead to poor educational outcomes, mental health struggles, substance abuse, and long-term impacts on individuals, families, and communities. Investing in prevention and healing is one of the most powerful ways we can change those trajectories.”
For the Oswego County Child Advocacy Center, the need for expanded services and a stronger prevention infrastructure is both urgent and deeply personal.
“The numbers in Oswego County are hard to ignore,” said Tory DeCaire, Executive Director of the Child Advocacy Center of Oswego County. “In 2023, which is the most recent state-wide data, our county’s rate of children involved in child abuse cases was more than four times the New York State average and higher than any surrounding county. Those aren’t just statistics; they represent real children and families in our community.
We know this work, and we know what’s possible. We have strong partnerships, dedicated professionals, and the experience needed to strengthen prevention efforts and expand access to high-quality, trauma-informed therapy. With the Shineman Foundation’s support, we can shift from simply responding to abuse, toward actively reducing it.
We’re incredibly grateful to our multidisciplinary team (MDT) and community partners who show up for children every single day. This investment allows us to build on that foundation and take meaningful steps toward making Oswego County a safer place for our children to grow up.”
The expanded therapy services will enable the Oswego County Child Advocacy Center to reach more children and families with timely, trauma-informed care. The newly established Child Abuse Prevention Coordinator role will focus on education, community engagement, and cross-sector collaboration—helping to build a coordinated, countywide approach to reducing abuse and strengthening protective factors for children.
The Shineman Foundation sees this grant as a partnership with local nonprofits, shaped by the voices and experiences of those closest to the challenges.
“We are proud to stand alongside the Child Advocacy Center in this work,” Tucker added. “But philanthropy alone cannot solve a challenge of this scale. This investment is also a call to action—for public leaders, systems, and the broader community to increase attention and resources toward child abuse prevention. Protecting children requires sustained, collective commitment.”
The Oswego County Child Advocacy Center works in close collaboration with law enforcement, child protective services, medical professionals, and mental health providers to ensure children who have experienced abuse receive coordinated, compassionate support—while advancing efforts to prevent future harm.
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