Questions about The Children's Advocacy Center of Cherokee County
-
Where is The Children's Advocacy Center located?
Our office is located at 411 North River Street, Centre, Alabama 35960
-
How can I get in contact with the Advocacy Center?
Our phone number is 256-927-2111, or you can find more information here.
-
Who do I contact about a potential volunteer, donation or fundraising opportunity?
You can reach our Director, Lori Harris, by email at llumsdencac@tds.net or by calling 256-927-2111. More information about donations can be found here. Information about volunteer opportunities can be found here.
Questions about Child Abuse
-
What is Child Abuse?
Under Alabama law, it is “harm or threatened harm to a child’s health or welfare which can occur through non-accidental physical or mental injury; sexual abuse or attempted sexual abuse; sexual exploitation or attempted sexual exploitation.”
-
Potential Signs of Abuse
Physical Abuse
• Unexplained bruises, marks, or cuts
• Marks in the shape of an object
• Fear of adults
• Destructiveness towards self or others
• Poor social skills
• Aggression
• DefianceSexual Abuse
• Inappropriate displays of affection
• Inappropriate sexual knowledge
• Over-compliance
• Pain during urination
• Difficulty walking or sitting
• Frequent vomiting
• Wetting pantsEmotional Abuse
• Depression or withdrawal
• Lack of emotion
• Lack of interest
• Speech, sleep, or eating disorders
• Increased emotional needsNeglect
• Clothing that’s dirty, torn, poorly fitting, or inappropriate for the weather
• Sleepiness
• Poor hygiene
• Untreated medical or dental problems -
What should I do if a child discloses abuse to me?
Remember to stay calm while the child is telling you about what happened - It is important to maintain a safe place for the child during their disclosure.
Listen and don't make assumptions - Listen more than you talk and avoid advice giving or problem solving. Don’t put words in your child’s mouth or assume you know what he/she means or are going to say. Let your child use language they are comfortable with. Let your child set the pace, and don’t rush them.
Tell the child that you believe them - A lot of children will not tell anyone they are being abused because they have been told by the abuser that no one will believe them. If a child is telling you, it means they trust you and are asking you, as a safe person, to help.
Tell the child that the abuse is not their fault - Children often feel a significant amount of guilt and shame about what has happened, and they need to know child abuse is never the child’s fault.
Tell the child that they did the right thing by telling you about what happened - Acknowledge their courage in speaking out.
Do not ask questions in an attempt to gather further information about the abuse. Asking a lot of questions, especially leading questions, could confuse the child or potentially cause them to shut down. This could also negatively affect the case investigation in the future.
Do not have the child repeat their disclosure to others- It is important to limit the amount of people the child has to talk to about the abuse. Having them retell their disclosure could have negative impacts on the child.
Most importantly, REPORT the abuse to DHR and/or law enforcement.
How To Make A Child Abuse Report in Cherokee County
A child abuse/neglect report can be made by contacting the Cherokee County Department of Human Resources during the hours of 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday-Friday at (256) 927-1440
When calling, tell the operator that you would like to make a report of child abuse/neglect and they will connect you to the intake worker.
If you need to make an after-hours report to DHR, contact the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department at (256) 927-3365 or your local police department via the 9-1-1 operator.
For Mandatory Reporters- Once you have made a verbal report to DHR, submit a written report containing the information that you have reported. The Written Report of Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect form (DHR-FCS-1593) can be found on their website below.
