WASHINGTON — When 10-year old Makiyah Wilson was killed in DC last year, a memorial was set up in Clay Terrace where she was shot.
That memorial is still in place, as her neighborhood continues to heal. Now, city leaders want to make sure everyone is getting the appropriate help.
Mayor Muriel Bowser is proposing three new sites where DC residents who are exposed to community or domestic violence can get trauma-informed services. “To go and to get therapy and begin to heal. These will be confidential centers,” said Director of DC’s Children and Family Services Agency, Brenda Donald.
Clay Terrace is one of the proposed sites.
In addition to trauma centers, the city is proposing Families First Success Centers in Wards 7 and 8. City leaders identified 10 neighborhoods where people are least healthy, child neglect and abuse is high, along with violent crimes.
- Simple City
- Clay Terrace
- Mayfair/ Paradise
- Stoddart Terrace
- Benning and Minnesota
- Woodland
- Anacostia
- Congress Heights
- Washington Highlands
- Bellevue
The new resource centers would be placed in those neighborhoods at existing facilities like churches, food banks and recreation centers. “You want to go in your own neighborhood where you have relationships, where there is trust,” said Donald.
Donald said this big plan is really aimed at children. To make sure they’re reaching those in desperate need of help, the city wants to place additional resources at eight schools.
- Ballou
- Anacostia
- Cardozo
- Eliot Hine
- Langley
- Sousa
- Moten
- Kramer
The plan would cost nearly $8 million to implement.
New Jersey, San Francisco and Philadelphia have similar initiatives in place.