CACCC hosted the March breakfast meeting of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce held at the Chamber office in Centre. A good crowd of Chamber members, local political leaders and business leaders attended the meeting.
Lori Lumsden, executive director, Children’s Advocacy Center of Cherokee County, shared some information on the agency’s role in the community.
Children’s Advocacy Center of Cherokee County, Lumsden said, was incorporated as the Cherokee County Child Abuse Prevention Project and was formerly known to the general public as Family Ties of Cherokee County. The agency was responsible for counseling with children who have been abused, providing information on who to contact if they have been abused, offering parenting classes and other functions.
“The school program now offers an emphasis on conflict resolution, violence prevention, and parenting programs,” said Lumsden. “We are offering a variety of classes. Probably one of our best-supported classes is cooperative parenting and divorce. That’s a program for parents who have divorced or are in the process of divorcing to learn that even though they are ending their marriage, they are still going to be parents of those children for the rest of those children’s lives. They will have to make decisions together about things for their children.”
In the last six years, Children’s Advocacy Center of Cherokee County has also become known for its victims’ services programs, Lumsden said.
“If there is a suspicion that a child is being abused or neglected, then DHR is contacted or somebody calls law enforcement,” said Lumsden. “DHR has to be made aware of that report and that is where the investigation starts. Years ago, once they completed their assessment, law enforcement would complete their investigation and the district attorney’s offices would do separate investigations and make decisions on whether to prosecute or not. What we saw as that children were sometimes interviewed repeatedly by this person and by that person, and by the end of their disclosure, they had talked to a lot of people.”
Today, children who authorities suspect of being neglected or abused have to go through the interview process only once for all agencies involved in a safe, child-friendly environment, Lumsden said.
Congressman Bud Kramer started the Children’s Advocacy Center Program, Lumsden said, and the program has become a nationwide model. Currently, Cherokee County has one of 24 centers across Alabama.
Lumsden and staff are trained to do forensic interviews when cases of abuse or neglect are reported, Lumsden said.
Joe Bob Ray, former director of Family Ties and local foster parent, says Cherokee County currently ranks 67 out of 67 in the number of child abuse cases in Alabama.
“Cherokee County has more reports of abuse and neglect per capita than Jefferson, Mobile, Huntsville,” said Mrs. Ray. “Most people don’t realize that it really happens here. We are out of foster homes in Cherokee County. They are picking up newborn babies that need a place to live and we don’t have a place to put them.”
One of the reasons Cherokee County ranks so high in the number of cases, Lumsden stressed, is because there are teachers and counselors in this area who are good to report their suspicions if they think a student is being abused or neglected.
“I think we have educated our communities and our professionals to look for those signs which point to child abuse,” said Lumsden.
Those interested in becoming foster parents, Mrs. Ray said, can apply through the Cherokee County Department of Human Resources. Requirements include a physical examination and financial statement.
Lumsden reminded citizens that April is Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month and that Children’s Advocacy Center of Cherokee County will hold a special proclamation signing ceremony and luncheon April 1 to kick off the Annual Blue Ribbon Campaign. The public is invited to attend.
In the meantime, she urged local leaders to support the Advocacy Center by contacting their legislative representatives.
“Y in advocacy stands for you!” said Lumsden. “You are the businesses, you are the people in the community that makes things happen. You can help us stay open. I realize sometimes you are called upon to support a lot of different organizations in our county and I’m not asking you to pull your support from one of those. I talked with some of our legislators last week about the budget and I told them we are not asking that they take money from other childrens’ services or that they take money from the elderly but if there is some other area from which we could be funded so that we can continue to provide services for the children in this county, then we would like to ask them to support that. Currently we are zero funded in the general fund budget and that is where we receive money to match our federal grant. Without that money, this community would have to raise a minimum of $75,000. We challenge you to consider helping us. Call Rep. Lindsey, Sen. Dial, Sen. Means and tell them what we mean to this community and how important we are to the children who are abused and neglected.”
Thereasa Hulgan, executive director, Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, reminded those attending about upcoming events, including the Cherokee Humane Society Annual Plant Sale in Leesburg April 16.
She also reminded citizens to encourage Cherokee County to support the new Gadsden State Community College-Community Centre Complex now in the planning stages.
On that note, Dianne Cruickshank, executive director, Gadsden State Community College-Cherokee County Campus, introduced Connie Meloun, assistant dean of health services, Gadsden State Community College.
“To have a nursing program, we have to go through a lot of hoops,” said Meloun. “We are starting through those hoops and hopefully, we will get everything worked out, but we will be happy to be here, to serve the county in any way we can.
Post a Comment