Celebrating 25 Years of Turning Hurt Into Hope!
MISSION
Accredited by the National Children’s Alliance, the CACRC is a nonprofit organization that works in conjunction with local police, child protection services, the county attorney’s office, victim advocates, and mental and medical health providers to nurture a community where children are safe and where justice for victims of sexual and physical abuse can be obtained.
GET HELP NOW
for you and your family.
WHAT TO EXPECT
on your first visit.
WARNING SIGNS
Stop abuse in its tracks.
RESOURCES
We’re in this together.
If a child tells you that he or she has been hurt, or you are concerned that a child may be a victim of abuse or neglect, you are required to call the Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) Central Intake Unit at:
Phone: 800.894.5533
Hours: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday — Friday
Call your local police department with urgent child abuse or neglect reports during DCYF non-work hours between 4:30 PM and 8:00 AM, or on weekends and holidays.
Proof of abuse or neglect is not required to make a report, and you may do so anonymously.
We never stop looking for solutions for healing. Check out this amazing film trailer about the biology of stress and the science of hope.
EVENTS
Our kiddos need you. Help us Turn Hurt into Hope by attending one of our upcoming events.
TESTIMONIALS
“One of the things I find most compelling about the CAC of Rockingham County is its grassroots origin; it was created by people who know their community. Child abuse is reprehensible, and unfortunately the abuse that these kids suffer is often just the beginning of a very difficult road moving forward. The CAC model requires accountability and collaboration between multiple agencies responsible for protecting the well-being of children, while balancing the interests of all parties in order to find the truth of the matter and proceed forward according to what is in the best interest of all parties involved. When children make disclosures through this process, offenders are more likely to provide a confession, prosecutions rates go up, and convictions of those who perpetrate crimes against children are more frequently obtained.”
CHIEF ED GARONE
“Sometimes all you need is someone who will believe your story, and that’s all it took for me. When I entered the Child Advocacy Center, I was immediately surrounded by helpful hands, advocates ready to listen. Throughout my life I’ve heard many people deny that abuse has happened. Sometimes we shrug off things that our body or mind can’t handle or process. However, abuse does happen and it is real. I was sexually abused by my father when I was just a little girl. I was brainwashed for a long time into thinking nothing would come of it if I told anyone. I was told that no one would believe me, and that I’d be in trouble. However, my life was forever changed when I met a child advocate who told me the exact words that I needed to hear, “It’s not your fault” and “Everything will be okay”. They sat me down in a room and explained the interview process to me. There was not one moment during that time that I didn’t feel safe. The advocate was so kind and so sweet. I just knew that day was going to be the day they would help me, and I was right. I was no longer alone, and I no longer had a big secret I needed to hold in anymore. I had someone who believed my story, and didn’t once tell me that she didn’t believe me. She took the time to hear my every word, and supported me throughout the whole interview. The Child Advocacy Center uses trained professionals who make children feel safe and important. They give children a chance to tell their story and feel comfortable in doing so. They changed one little girl’s life forever, and I know they have and will do the same for many other children.”
MELISSA
Tell me now it’s untrue, what did her daddy do? He jacked a little bitty baby the man has got to be insane.
“Janie’s Got A Gun” by Aerosmith
In the lyrical verses, somewhere before the slamming power chords and in-between the intoxicating rhythmic drum beat comes the socially conscious message in a song that continually reminds us of the unbelievable horror a child experiences at the hands of their tormentor. Some people fluff off the message by saying it’s only rock and roll – I don’t, and I am associated with an organization that does not as well.
The Child Advocacy Center of Rockingham County is an organization devoted to protecting children. In the years I have had the pleasure of working with them, I have found the staff to be professional, dedicated, well trained and team oriented towards the goal of assisting law enforcement, children and their families. It is such a comfort to know there is an organization just minutes away that I can reach out to and assist me in investigating the complexity of child sexual assault. Certainly, if “Hell is for Children,” the Child Advocacy Center is a comfort zone for kids, light years away from that hell.
DETECTIVE RICK LABELL
