Putting the Pieces Together.
Mission: Our mission is to help ‘put the pieces together’ for children victimized by abuse or neglect.
Goal: Provide comprehensive, accessible, free services for 100 percent of children and families in Limestone County.
Services We Provide:
A Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) is a safe place for all children to come and tell their stories. When a report of alleged abuse is made to DHR or law enforcement, the first step is having the child come into the CAC. They will speak with our highly trained Forensic Interviewer during a recorded session. From there, other agencies can watch the recording without the child having to retell their story. Without a CAC in your community, a child victim is at a higher risk of re-traumatization by having to tell their story multiple times.
The CAC may provide victim advocacy and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) depending on the outcome of the interview.
The CAC works within a multi-disciplinary team that includes DHR, law enforcement, the juvenile probation office, and the District Attorney’s office to ensure the best possible outcome for the child victim.
Forensic Interviews
Successful prosecution of child abuse cases begins with a thorough investigation. Forensic interviews are legally justifiable, fact-finding interviews with a child conducted by specially trained professionals at the request of law enforcement or DHR.
Therapeutic Counseling
Specializing in trauma-focused therapy, the Center’s therapy staff offers services to children who have been victimized by abuse or neglect and their non-offending family members who are dealing with the aftermath of abuse.
Family Advocacy & Support
In a child abuse case, the perpetrator is usually someone close to the family, or someone who lives in the home. In fact, 90 percent of child abuse victims know, love, and trust their abusers. The abuser may even be a family’s primary breadwinner. Upon their arrest, the entire family is suddenly in crisis. Non-offending family members must have support in order to protect their children and rebuild their lives.
Community Education
Our goal is to raise awareness throughout the community about the importance of preventing, recognizing, and reporting child abuse. It takes all of us working together to prevent abuse.