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Supporting Hope and Healing at KIDS Center

SELCO Steps Up Community Giving

When a child walks through the doors of KIDS Center in Bend, everything is designed to help them feel safe from the first step.

Soft lighting, walls filled with kid-level artwork, rows of stuffed animals, and a friendly facility dog named Ali all come together to create a space that feels welcoming at a moment when families need it most. 

KIDS Center is Central Oregon’s only Children’s Advocacy Center, providing trauma-centered evaluations, family advocacy, and therapy services for children who may be experiencing abuse or neglect. Their team works to ensure that every child is met with warmth and support, from the moment they arrive. 

As Rachel Visser, Prevention Education Manager, shares, one of the most visible changes happens in a child’s body language. Kids often arrive feeling tense, timid, or overwhelmed. But by the time they walk back up the ramp after meeting with interviewers, completing their exam, or talking with an advocate, many leave lighter. Some even call it “the best place ever” because of the relief they feel once they’ve been heard and nurtured. 

KIDS Center’s work extends beyond this welcoming building. Through prevention education, trainings, and community outreach, the organization gives parents and caregivers practical tools that help them communicate with their kids and navigate risks with more confidence. That includes internet safety trainings supported by SELCO, which help families better understand online risks and how to stay safe. 

For more than 10 years, SELCO’s partnership with KIDS Center has helped expand this vital work. Funding supports community trainings, awareness efforts, and ongoing prevention initiatives that support families across Central Oregon. More importantly, it helps ensure that families never carry the weight of these moments alone. 

SELCO is proud to support KIDS Center, standing alongside the people who create a safety net, offering hope to those who are healing every day.

Published July 30, 2025

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