Project Harmony serves children and families in Douglas and Sarpy County dealing with child abuse or neglect issues. They have just received their five-year re-accreditation from the National Children’s Alliance.
Executive Director Gene Klein says their mission is to improve how our community responds to child abuse and neglect. They serve as the coordinating agency between law enforcement, child protective services and, when needed, the prosecutor’s office. Klein says most of the services children and families need when dealing with child abuse or neglect are in the same building as Project Harmony, at 120th and Q Street…
“This is the hub for all child abuse response for the region. There are about 20 detectives and staff that specialize just in child abuse and neglect and sexual abuse. In addition, the State of Nebraska’s Child Protective Services has about 120 initial assessment caseworkers on site, along with the Child Abuse Hotline that is located here. They come to one place, and we kind of wrap the investigative services and then the support services around that family.”
Klein says in its 20 years of existence, Project Harmony has gone from assisting in about 150 cases of child abuse or neglect per year to around 2,000. He says the standards for re-accreditation are constantly being raised and receiving it should assure the Omaha community that their work is of the highest quality.
For more information, the website is projectharmony.com