'Room Redux': Nonprofit transforms room of child abuse victims

ALAMEDA COUNTY, Calif. (KRON) - It's often called the silent epidemic.

Whether you hear about it or not, child abuse is happening regularly.

In Alameda County, health officials say severe child physical abuse cases are rising due to the pandemic.

A new organization is helping victims heal by transforming their personal space.

"We come in and we completely transform that room top to bottom," Tracy Sarge said.

With a fresh coat of paint, and added therapeutic features like weighted blankets, Room Redux is helping heal victims of child abuse one room at a time.

Tracy Sarge heads up the new Bay Area chapter that's already transformed the rooms of nearly a dozen children.

"Currently we're working with UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland. The children all have to be either in counseling or going through counseling for this type of abuse or trauma," Surge said.

"Room Redux helps the child and family in the therapy process by letting them regain a sense of control safety," the manager of the center for child protection at UCSF Benioff Shelley Hamilton said.

Hamilton believes the work Room Redux does is the perfect addition to the psychotherapy services her office provides.

"For kids who have been abused in their home, the home environment provides a constant trigger for them. So by transforming that room it reduces the day-to-day triggers they have," Hamilton said.

She also says over the last year, though reports of sexual misconduct have gone down at least 30%, reports of child physical abuse are on the rise. And that's not the whole picture.

"The very things we're doing to eradicate the virus has taken children out of day to day contact with mandated reporters. So we know there are more cases out there that haven't come to our attention just yet," Hamilton added.

One young victim received help from Room Redux last month and is already showing signs of improvement.

Room Redux is operating off of donations right now.

Each room costs between $1,500 and $2,000 to transform.

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