(KNSI) – St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis has proclaimed April as Child Abuse Awareness Prevention Month.
He also paid a visit to the Central Minnesota Child Advocacy Center. The CAC is a place where children who have experienced physical, sexual or emotional abuse can go in front of a multidisciplinary team. CentraCare and community partners successfully created a “one-stop” approach that’s better for the children. The team consists of police, prosecuting attorneys, medical professionals, child and family advocates, mental health professionals and child protection or social workers, so they only have to tell what happened to them one time. A child having to tell the story repeatedly can be retraumatized each time.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in seven children experienced some kind of abuse or neglect in the past year. Even still, most research finds child abuse and neglect are underreported, with many people not disclosing the harm they suffered until adulthood, if ever.
Since the CAC opened in September 2016, more than 2,200 children, adolescents and vulnerable adults have been served.
“Child abuse occurs where we live and impacts many people. Our hope at the CAC is that we can allow those we serve to start the healing process as a result of coming to a safe, trauma-informed, person-centered space,” said CAC Manager Monica Guggenberger, MS, LMFT.
CAC services are provided to families at no cost.
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