That seems like a given – something we shouldn’t even have to think about. But for many children, safety is a daily concern. Right here in our city and in the smaller communities around us, there are children suffering from abuse at the hands of the adults who are entrusted with their care. As children, they can feel helpless to do anything about it. But we are not helpless.
Together we can do something about it.
As the Executive Director for the CAC, I have worked for the last year and a half to increase staff and space in order to accommodate the number of children our CAC serves. We have added another counselor, forensic interviewer, and a family advocate to our staff. We have increased our footprint within the building where we are housed – expanding our waiting room, adding additional office space, and adding rooms where families can meet with staff and others in private. Families can now be seen in comfortable, private spaces in a child-friendly environment – which is ideal for our clientele.
We have big dreams here at the CAC of not only fighting child abuse, but also preventing it from happening in the first place. I think we can all agree that our children deserve to be safe. Our community cannot have a bright future without a healthy young generation. We do a great job of what I call ‘triage and treatment’. We get the child here as quickly as possible after a disclosure of abuse – and we provide the best treatment options for them following that initial contact.
But just like in the medical field, PREVENTION is the key. There have been many studies done on what prevention education can do to reduce incidents of child abuse – so we already know that we need to be out in the community providing this type of education. In order for us to provide the prevention education needed to make the biggest impact, we need to be able to get out and actually do the work in our community.
Our staff and Board of Directors spends a lot of time on fundraising which is a necessary but time-consuming task. However, I know that our time and expertise would be better used by serving the children in our community. We need to educate both children and adults about the prevalence of child abuse by teaching them what they can do to recognize and respond to it, and make this a safer community for our children. That’s where we are the experts – that’s where we can have the most impact. We are specially trained to do this, but it’s an expensive endeavor
Won’t you help us make this a safer community for children? It’s vital to the future of the next generation. And, it’s easy to do. Simply go to voicescac.org and click on the Donate button. Choosing the Monthly recurring option enters you into our committed group of supporters called “The Pride”. Even a very small monthly donation ($5-10 per month) makes a big difference and has an impact on our mission.
If you prefer a different giving option, simply choose One Time Only, Quarterly, or Yearly. Or you can always send a check to us at 1807 North Woodbine Road, Suite E, St. Joseph, MO 64506. Any option is appreciated and useful to the mission.
April is CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH and there is no better time to act. I urge you to consider giving during this time.
If we can train adults to recognize and report abuse and educate children about what to do when faced with abuse, together we can fulfill the mission of reducing child abuse in our community.
Won’t you help us during the month of April? Click on Donate today!
