Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.
John F. Kennedy
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
WHAT HAPPENS AT A CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER?
We are asked all the time what we do here at Voices of Courage. If you don’t know, it’s likely because you have not needed our specific services. So here is a short explanation about what really happens here.
When a child discloses abuse, it can feel overwhelming – for the child and for the adults who want to help. A child advocacy center (CAC) exists to make that process safer, simpler, and more supportive for everyone involved.
At a CAC, children and families are welcomed into a child-friendly, non-threatening environment designed to reduce fear and anxiety. Instead of navigating multiple agencies on their own, families come to one place where professionals work together with a shared goal: protecting the child and supporting their healing.
Here’s what typically happens:
A Safe Conversation
A child may participate in a forensic interview – a structured, age-appropriate conversation led by a specially trained professional. This allows the child to share their experience in a way that is respectful, non-leading, and developmentally appropriate. It also helps reduce the need for the child to repeat their story multiple times.
A Team Approach
Behind the scenes, a multidisciplinary team (including law enforcement, child protection, medical professionals, prosecutors, juvenile officers and mental health providers) works together to ensure a coordinated response. This collaboration helps make sure no detail is overlooked and that the child’s best interests remain at the center of every decision.
Support for the Whole Family
Caregivers are not left to navigate this process alone. Advocates provide guidance, answer questions, and connect families to resources every step of the way – sometimes long after they leave our building.
Healing Through Mental Health Services
Children may be referred to trauma-informed therapy to help them process their experiences, build coping skills, and begin to heal in a safe, supportive space.
Why This Matters
A CAC reduced trauma, increases access to care, and helps children feel seen, heard, and believed during one of the most difficult times in their lives.
When a child walks through our doors, they are met with compassion, professionalism, and hope – because every child deserves a path toward healing.
THE MORE YOU KNOW
ABUSE DOESN’T ALWAYS LEAVE PHYSICAL SIGNS
When people think of child abuse, they often picture visible injuries – bruises, cuts or other physical evidence. But the reality is – most abuse leaves no physical marks at all.
Children who have experienced abuse are far more likely to show behavioral or emotional changes than visible injuries. These signs can be easy to miss or misunderstand, especially when they develop gradually.
Some common indicators include:
- Sudden changes in mood or behavior
- Withdrawal from friends, family, or activities
- Increased anxiety, fearfulness or clinginess
- Changes in sleep or eating habits
- Regression to younger behaviors (like bedwetting)
- Decline in school performance
It’s important to remember that these behaviors don’t automatically mean abuse has occurred – but they do signal that a child may need support and attention.
WHY THIS MATTERS
When we focus only on physical signs, we risk overlooking children who are silently struggling. Awareness of emotional and behavioral changes helps step in sooner and connect children to the help they need.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Trust your instincts. If something feels “off,” take the time to gently check in, listen without judgment and create a safe space for the child to share.
Every child deserves to be seen – not just for what’s visible, but for what they may be carrying inside.
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
May is recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month – a time to elevate conversations, reduce stigma and remind one another that mental health is just as important as physical health. At Voices of Courage, this message is especially important, because children’s mental health shapes the foundation for their entire future.
Every day, we work with children who have experienced abuse or trauma. While the harm they’ve endured is not always visible, its impact can be profound – affecting how they feel, learn, trust, and grow. Without support, these experiences can follow a child into adolescence and adulthood. But with the right care, healing is not only possible – it’s powerful.
Children often don’t have the words to explain what they are going through. Instead, their mental health shows up in their behavior:
- Anxiety
- Withdrawal
- Anger
- Difficulty concentrating
- Changes in sleep
- Changes in appetite.
These are not “bad behaviors” – they are signals that a child may be struggling and needs understanding, patience, and support.
That is why our mental health services are at the heart of everything we do. Through trauma-informed therapy, advocacy, and a coordinated team approach, we help children feel safe, heard, and believed. We work to ensure that no child has to carry the weight of their experiences alone.
Mental Health Awareness Month is also a reminder that healing happens in community. Parents, caregivers, educators, and neighbors all play a role in creating environments where children feel secure enough to speak up and strong enough to heal.
This month, I encourage you to:
- Check in with the children in your life
- Listen without judgment
- Learn the signs that a child may be struggling
- Support organizations that provide critical mental health services
Together, we can build a community where children are not defined by what has happened to them, but supported in becoming who they are meant to be.
Thank you for standing with us – and for standing up for children.
Melissa Birdsell
Together, we can build a community where every child has the chance to thrive.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
MYTH VS. FACT: Understanding Children's Responses to Abuse
Over the next few newsletters, we are going to post a few common myths about child abuse, then talk about facts. We want to dispel some myths related to child abuse because myths can be harmful. Facts keep children safe.
MYTH: If a child doesn’t say “no,” fight back, or scream during abuse, they are partly to blame.
FACT: Children are NEVER responsible for abuse – regardless of how they respond in the moment.
When adults imagine a dangerous situation, we often picture a loud, physical struggle: yelling, fighting or running away. But for children, the reality is very different.
When faced with fear or confusion, a child’s brain may activate a natural survival response – commonly known as “fight, flight or freeze.” Many children freeze. Some may become very still, quiet, or compliant. This is not a choice – it is the body’s automatic way of trying to stay safe in an overwhelming situation.
Children may also:
- Be confused about what is happening
- Be manipulated or threatened by the person harming them
- Not have the words or understanding to respond
- Fear getting in trouble or not being believed
In many cases, the person causing harm is someone the child knows and trusts. This can make it even harder for a child to react in ways adults might expect.
Expecting a child to resist, yell, or report immediately places adult expectations on a child’s developing brain and shifts responsibility away from where it belongs – on the person who caused harm.
The truth is simple and important: A child’s response to abuse is about survival – not consent.
What this Means for Our Community
We always want to bring it back to community. Understanding how children respond to trauma helps us:
- Respond with empathy instead of judgment
- Cause safe spaces where children feel believed
- Support healing without shame or blame.
When we shift our thinking, we send a powerful message to children: “What happened to you is not your fault. You are not to blame. We are here to help.”
How You Can Help
- Believe children when they share their experiences
- Avoid asking “why didn’t you…” questions
- Model safe, supportive conversations
- Learn more about how trauma impacts behavior
Together we can build a community where children feel safe, supported and protected.
COMMUNITY UPDATES
CORPORATE CHAMPIONS CAMPAIGN UDATE
In an earlier newsletter, we announced that we would be rolling out our Corporate Champions Campaign.
This campaign is designed to partner with local businesses that share our commitment to protection children and strengthening families.
These partners are playing a vital role in ensuring children in our community can access services without cost, delay or barriers, regardless of the family’s circumstances.
We are proud to announce that we have two new partners. The first is Sunshine Electronic Display, located in downtown St. Joseph. Sunshine is a leading manufacturer of electronic displays seen throughout the country displaying fuel prices, hotel rates and lottery jackpot amounts.
Joining the team next was Gertsema Wealth Advisors. This is a team of financial advisors who are happy to guide their clients in working toward their goals for whatever version they have for a life well lived.
If you would like to join this growing group of companies in working together to protect children, just click here or contact Melissa to learn more.
COCO'S CORNER
In case you haven’t been introduced, this is Coco – our facility dog. She joined us in September 2025 and has been learning how to be a calming presence for the children who come to our facility.
In April, Coco traveled to St. Louis to attend her own graduation from CHAMP’s Assistance Dogs. During that trip, she got to see some of her siblings! Her handler, Carrie Watkins, attended with her family and these photos are from her graduation ceremony.
#itisyourbusiness Missouri Child Abuse & Neglect Hotline 800-392-3738