Three Pike County child service agencies have received a total of $87,000 in grant funding from the Department of Child Abuse and Neglect’s Children’s Trust Fund.

The Organized Community Action Program received $35,000, the Pike Regional Child Advocacy Center, $32,000 and East Central Mental Health-Mental Retardation, $20,000.

The funds were allocated by the Alabama Legislature for child services and were presented at a luncheon hosted by the agencies at the East Central Mental Health facility on Tuesday.

Don Schofield, director ECMH-MR, said that it was a great honor for Pike County to receive three Children’s Trust Fund grants.

“The awarding of these grants demonstrates the continued coordination and cooperation between these agencies and shows how well our community works together,” Schofield said.

“The CTF has supported us in a big way and these funds will allow us continue and even increase our prevention programs.”

The funds will be used by the agencies in different ways. The funds provided to East Central Mental Health-Mental Retardation will be used to support the after-school program in Brundidge. The Pike Regional Child Advocacy Center will use the funds for its parenting program and OCAP will use the funds in support of its fatherhood program.

Sen. Wendell Mitchell and Rep. Alan Booth, representatives from the CTF and local community officials that are involved in providing services for the children of Pike County attended the luncheon.

Schofield thanked them all for the tremendous job they do in providing services for the children of Pike County.

“There’s not one person in this room who is not an important part of what we do for the children and adolescents of this county,” Schofield said.

The Children’s Trust Fund is administered by the Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect.