The Children’s Advocacy Center recently hosted a luncheon to proclaim April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. A good crowd of local leaders attended.

Janice Haynes, child protective services supervisor for the Cherokee County Department of Human Resources, shared the history of the Advocacy Center and also some local statistics concerning child abuse and neglect.

The Children’s Advocacy Center, Haynes said, started out in 1989 as a prevention program known as Family Ties.

“In 1999, we moved into the first building and officially became an advocacy center with all the things that entailed, including forensics interviews for children who were victims of sexual abuse or severe physical abuse,” said Haynes. “We included a forensic evaluation person to get to the heart of the situation with a child and provide additional information as needed, possibly to prosecute the case or even just to help the family deal with the situation in which they found themselves.”

“We also had counseling services,” said Haynes. “We have continued the prevention program. All of those things came together along with our multidisciplinary team and that is what we have continued today.”

Haynes noted the support the advocacy center has received from cities, counties, state officials and local elected officials who have supported the advocacy center’s efforts.

“The city of Centre applied for and received a $250,000 grant in order to build new building that will house the advocacy center and will make life a lot easier for the staff here because you won’t be elbow to elbow anymore,” said Haynes. “That is something we are all excited about.”

The Advocacy Center’s passion, Haynes stressed, is the hope offered to families of abused or neglected children.

“We’ve had the support of officials, elected and community as well, but in addition to that we have also the professionals have supported us,” said Haynes. “This includes law enforcement, the district attorney’s office, the education professionals. As a child protective service worker for about 30 years, I can tell you that this was a long time coming and is something that we all wanted so very badly. We had a tech service supervisor who eventually became our director who was pivotal in getting our multidisciplinary team started, Kathy Miller, who is now a regional supervisor.”

Thanks to CCCAC efforts, Haynes said, workers can observe forensic interviews through a close circuit operation.



“This may prompt some questions that maybe the interviewer hasn’t thought of in an environment that is friendly and not as intimidating as it might be in another situation,” said Haynes. “Trauma is so great when things have happened in families that shouldn’t happen. Child safety is just not negotiable.”

Lori Lumsden, executive director, Children’s Advocacy Center of Cherokee County, introduced members of the staff including Pam Smith, office manager; Larinda Garrett, prevention education coordinator; Marsha Thomas, family advocate and Karon Kimbril, counselor.

The CAC Board of Directors is composed of Peggy Casey, president; Lynn Rochester, vice president; Barbara Smith, secretary; Janet Maddox, treasurer; Frankie Trammell, member at large; Peggy Chandler, Keith Day, Susan Hincy, Delores Melton, Tommy Minnix, Sandi Wolfe, Barbara Cochran, Ann Dykes, Lynn Hughston, Mary Miller, Melvia Savage, Al Young, Ron Davis, Kevin Green, Trudie Lowe, Tommy Miller and Lanny Starr.

The CAC Multidisciplinary Team is composed of Mike O’Dell, Bo Jolly, Cassandra Foster, Allison Chandler, Monica Mitchell, Amber Cochran, Bob Johnston, Teresa Sauls, Felicia Smith, In-Dea Gibson, Kristin Lane, Angie Robertson, Danny Smith, Janice Haynes, Judith Brown, Theresa Hughston, Catherine Huffman and Dr. Ryan Rainer.

Lumsden also introduced Sand Rock Mayor Bill Glenn, Leesburg Mayor Ed Mackey, Gaylesville Mayor Elizabeth Stafford, Centre Mayor Phil Powell and Cherokee County Commission Chairman/Probate Judge Melvyn Salter who signed a proclamation designating April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Attendees then participated in a balloon release with each balloon representing a child that has received services at the center.

“People may not realize the extent of maltreatment that goes on in a little tiny rural town in Northeast Alabama, but the Department of Human Resources received 210 reports of abuse and neglect last year that affected 330 children,” said Haynes. “Of those, 47 were presented at the multidisciplanary team here at the advocacy center. It is bigger than we like to think about, it is not something we want to dwell on, but it is something that I think every person needs to be aware of. We are not exempt just because we are a small, rural community.”