Family & Children's Place
State-of-the-Art Child Advocacy Center to Open in 2012
Published On: December 28, 2011
This fall, sports commentary was more serious than ever and not in regard to bowl eligibility or basketball rankings. Sports fanatics called an impassioned foul on a former Penn State football coach and later a Syracuse basketball coach who were accused of child sexual abuse. Debates erupted and raw emotions were displayed as most rushed to demand swift legal action against the accused and few discussed the appropriate steps to heal the accusers. Among the commentary, a Louisville voice was heard when ESPN writer Rick Reilly featured the personal story of abuse shared by Imperium Health Management CEO Gary Thompson, whose powerful story had been shared for the first time at the Building Brighter Futures Breakfast for Family & Children’s Place. Now he stands up against abuse as a board member working with other brave individuals to build a state-of-the-art Child Advocacy Center in Louisville.
"Prevent. Stop. Recover." Those are the key mission words of Family & Children’s Place. The agency serves 6,500 children and families each year throughout Kentuckiana, and the shocking truth is that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused by the age of 18. While the ultimate vision is a community where children are free from abuse, they are currently the region’s only comprehensive resource for the intervention and treatment of child sexual abuse. President Dan Fox says, “Sexual abuse is not comfortable or pleasant to talk about. The discomfort, however, pales in comparison to the trauma experienced by millions of victims – fed by our silence and inaction. The children are often too scared or too traumatized to speak. We must be willing to lend our voices on their behalf. It is the responsibility of adults to protect children, not the responsibility of children to protect themselves.”
One way that the agency is leading the approach to victim support is a new Child Advocacy Center slated to break ground on the corner of 5th and Kentucky in early 2012. The new facility will allow for expanded services to child victims and provide permanent space for partnering agencies: the Crimes Against Children Unit of Metro Police, Child Protective Services, the Commonwealth Attorney, and specialized physicians. Abused children who enter the legal system must meet with representatives from each of these agencies as part of the legal process, a process that is often long, arduous, and traumatic for the abuse victims. The Child Advocacy Center will maximize treatment and minimize trauma by housing all under one safe and inviting roof.
You can contribute to this worthy endeavor by attending their 25th Annual Caper Event on January 14, following the U of L men’s basketball game versus DePaul. The Caper will feature food from various Louisville restaurants in the Archibad Cochran Ballroom at the Galt House Hotel. The U of L Athletic Department has long been a strong partner with Family and Children’s Place, and in the past, current players have shown their support by attending the post-game event. For only $25, you will have access to 300 silent auction items, prizes, and entertainment, while joining in the conversation to make the protection of our children a priority.
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