What is Child Protect?

Child Protect is the only Childrens Advocacy Center (CAC) serving Chilton County. There

are 30 in the state. Each CAC serves their own, specific area. All of the CACs in Alabama are 501c3 non-profit organizations that provide specialized services to child abuse victims in their community. Child Protect was established in 1989 as the CAC serving the Montgomery area. Before the office in Chilton County was formed as a satellite office in 2009, the children and families, local law enforcement, and DHR personnel had to travel to Montgomery when a child abuse report was made.

What services does the CAC in Chilton County provide?

Forensic Interviews One of the first steps in the investigative process is gathering a detailed statement from the child and minimizing the number of times children must tell their story. Specially trained child forensic interviewer specialists conduct objective, fact-finding, investigative interviews with children aged 3-17 at the request of Law Enforcement and the Department of Human Resources. Clinical Services/Therapy The CAC is committed to providing an environment of healing for our clients. We understand that each person we serve is unique; therefore we have a variety of clinical services to meet their individual needs. The counselor on staff provides trauma-focused individual and group counseling for children and psychoeducational groups for the non-offending parents of abused children. In addition, we offer specialized treatment methods such as music, art, and play therapy. Advocacy The advocacy services are provided throughout the life of the case in the criminal justice system. An advocate meets with the parent/caregiver at the time of the childs forensic interview, makes referrals to other needed services at the CAC or at other community agencies, prepares children for court proceedings, and accompanies the children to all court proceedings. The advocate many times serves as a liaison between the family and the District Attorneys Office. Expert Testimony Staff members are called upon to provide expert court testimony in the area of child maltreatment. Multi-disciplinary Team Coordination Multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs) exists in order to respond to child abuse allegations and include representatives from the following: Law Enforcement, Department of Human Resources, Prosecution, Mental Health, Medical, and Victim Advocacy. It has been found that CACs who utilized the team approach to child abuse investigations have more resources, a visible identity, facilities, and equipment for conducting the child friendly interviews, more accessible investigative team members and greater expertise among trained child interview specialists as opposed to separate agency-based investigations. MDT case review meetings are organized and held at the CAC on a regular basis which allows the entire team to receive information about ongoing cases and their progress. These meetings allow an improvement upon decision making, consistency, and quality assurance, which allows more comprehensive assessments and improved access to treatment options. The usage of MDTs when investigating child sexual abuse cases increases the investigators ability to substantiate evidence of the sexual abuse. Doing it this way (and not the old way) first and foremost minimizes the trauma on the child.

Is child abuse really a problem in our world and in our small community . . . why do we really need a CAC in Chilton County? You decide! First you need to understand the old way. Previously,
children entered the system in a variety of ways. Depending on how the child entered the system determined which agencies would be involved with the childs case and how the case would be handled. This model led to the child interacting with multiple professionals and discussing the details of their abuse on many different occasions and in a variety of settings. The repeated interviewing and unfriendly manner of the settings the child visited negatively affected court outcomes. In addition, the ambiguity of the role of each agency involved would lead to children falling through the cracks and not receiving proper follow up services. National statistics show that by the age of 18, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys have been abused. Only 1 in 10 will tell someone. In Chilton County, there were 290 report of child abuse last year. This was a 37% increase over the previous year. If there was no CAC, the children (who are the most traumatized in the community) would not have the specialized services they need and would have to go to law enforcement offices to be interviewed and most likely they would be interviewed multiple times which only adds to their trauma. If children do not receive the interventions they need after being abused, statistics show that it leads to problems such as suicide, addiction problems, and adult criminality.

Are we really making an impact?

Thank you for giving me my son back. . . ~A mother of a sexually abused boy upon the completion of his therapy

I dont know what we would have done without you being by our side through it all.
~A mothers statement to the CAC forensic interviewer/expert witness while leaving the Chilton County courthouse after the abuser was convicted of sexually abusing her child and another child in her family

There is no way we can try these cases without the CAC.

~A prosecutor with the Chilton County District Attorneys Office

If there was no office (CAC) here, I dont know how we would be doing it if we still had to drive to Montgomery.
~An investigator with the CCSO after a week when multiple cases were reported

Ive learned how strong I am!

~Statement from a 10 year old child sexual abuse survivor to her counselor at the CAC

Thank you! What you are doing is so important for our kids.
~A local judge after the Child Abuse Awareness Month proclamation was signed on April 1, 2013

How can you help?

There are many ways in which you can contribute. Spreading the word about the local CAC is one way. Also, in order to continue our work, we must have financial resources to do so. Attending our fundraising events, making a personal donation, talking to your local church about our mission, inviting a staff member to speak to local groups, sharing our Facebook page . . . there are many ways to help! If you are a business, you can commit to being a yearly corporate sponsor of the agency. Please call us at 205-755-4205 for a CAC tour and more information!