CACTX - April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

A cluster of little blue pinwheels have been spinning in front of the Children's Advocacy Center of Comal County since the beginning of the month on the Union Street side of the yard.

Each pinwheel highlights something that the center sees year-round: each represents one child who participated in a forensic interview at the center during the 2009 fiscal year - 220 in all.

The mission of the CACCC, established in 2004, is to work to investigate, prevent and treat child abuse and is part of the Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas.

‽I think people feel powerless about child abuse,” said Trendy Sharp, executive director of the CACCC. But people have been pulling over in their cars, and reading the center's reminder that each pinwheel represents a child interviewed at the center because of suspected sexual abuse or severe physical abuse in a year's time. The pinwheels are on display as part of the nationally observed Child Abuse Prevention Month, and will be on display through the end of April.

Children in Comal County and surrounding areas have access to the center on 111 East Commerce St. in New Braunfels that serves as an intake facility for children in severely compromised situations. Advocacy centers like this one are set up as independent nonprofits that pool resources together to prevent departmental overlap and further trauma that might result in the first days of a child being removed from an abusive home. CACCC is one of 64 in the state.

"Over 70 percent of what we do is sex abuse cases,” Sharp said.

The sensitivities of the children being thrown into the court system for the first time is foremost on the minds of everyone working in the center.

Rather than be interviewed at a police station, then by Child Protective Services and then again by the District Attorney's office, the interviews conducted at the advocacy center are recorded with hidden cameras, and DVD copies are given to law enforcement and to CPS. But children are not simply brought to the center for an interview, but rather to stay in a safe environment.

There is a doll house, television and games to help the children to relax.

"We had a child who's dad had a PS3 and never let him play it,” said Susan White, project coordinator for CACCC. ‽When he saw that he just melted,” she said.

White typically plays with the children, getting to know them.

Eventually Sara Cantu, the center's forensic interviewer, takes them into the interview room for the recorded interview.

"Taking them to be interviewed at the police station, it's a long process,” Cantu said. "Here it's less scary, it's a house, we have toys, and I'm not working for law enforcement, just the facts,” she said.

By recording the interviews, which eventually lead to children pointing out on body charts where they have been abused, having that evidence weighs heavily in court.

"In addition to not having to call the child or family back again and again if a defendant knows that they have that interview they often plead guilty, it often negates the need to (bring the children to court),” Sharp said.

Law enforcement, the courts, prosecutors, CPS and other nonprofits, like the Crisis Center of Comal County and Connections, all work in conjunction with CACCC, creating taxpayer savings overall.

"One recent study showed that in most communities CAC's saved $1,200 per case,” Sharp said. But, she added, they could do more, and are currently looking for extra donations and grants for capital request improvements, hoping to build a more secure center that could provide additional services under the same roof, such as an onsite counselor and a SANE (sexual assault nurse examiner) nurse, to further prevent the need to move children from place to place.

"Within 72 hours after a (sex crime) a child's body is still a crime scene,” Sharp said.

Sharp will give a luncheon presentation on Friday, April 16 at St. Mary's Hall at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church on child abuse in Comal County.

Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Luncheon

Date: Friday, April 16

Location: St. Mary's Hall, Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, 386 N. Castell Ave.

You should know: Executive Director of the CACCC, Trendy Sharp, will give a presentation regarding child abuse.

Tickets: $7 per person. Tickets on sale at St. Mary's Hall