About

A Bit of Background

The Stephen E. Booker Foundation, a non-profit organization, maintains and funds Booker’s Place @ JCMH. The Foundation was started by Robin Booker, in honor of her late husband and former Assistant District Attorney, Stephen Booker. Stephen was passionate about his work as a prosecutor and took special pride in protecting the rights of abused and neglected children. After Stephen’s passing in 2015, Robin, Stephen’s co-workers, courthouse staff and community members worked diligently towards the goal of establishing a child advocacy center.

Dr. Lindsey King, a local pediatrician and member of the Jackson County Multidisciplinary Team, worked with the administration at the Jackson County Memorial Hospital to find a location for the center. A former dentist office used as a storage building located on the hospital grounds was secured. After asbestos abatement, a complete remodel done through fundraising, donations and assistance from local civic groups, the facility was ready by April 2019.

Support for the Foundation and Booker’s Place @ JCHM has slowly grown over the years as the model proved effective. Since opening in 2019, we have served hundreds of children in Southwestern Oklahoma. Each year the number of children served increased. This was partially due to the training and increased knowledge of child sexual assault cases and reporting laws, and partially due to multidisciplinary teams seeing the value of bringing cases to the CAC. In 2021, the Foundation has set more goals for Booker’s Place @ JCMH. With continued fundraising and grant opportunities, the Foundation hopes to gain funding for a full-time employee, to expand services for victims’ advocacy and continued training regarding child abuse prevention and recognition for the community.