The Carousel Center signs agreement to become sole provider of child abuse services in Pender County
HAMPSTEAD, NC (WWAY) — The Carousel Center (TCC), Southeastern North Carolina’s only nationally-accredited Child Advocacy Center, signed a Memorandum of Agreement today officially making it the sole provider of child abuse services for Pender County.
“The Child Advocacy Center provides a safe, child-friendly environment where law enforcement, child protective services, prosecution, medical and mental health professionals may share information and develop effective, coordinated strategies sensitive to the needs of each unique case and each child,” The Carousel Center’s Executive Director Amy Feath said.
A Child Advocacy Center focuses on child survivors of abuse and consists of forensic interviews, medical exams, Multidisciplinary Team case reviews, therapy, court preparation, community education & prevention, according to a press release. Without a Child Advocacy Center, an abused child may have to tell their story many times to different professionals such as teachers, cops, lawyers, therapists, and so on.
If ever the police or Department of Social Services (DSS) believe a child is being abused, the parent, guardian, or “safe” adult brings the child to a Child Advocacy Center as it has a safe environment for them.
While there, the child gets the opportunity to tell their story once to a trained interviewer who is familiar with how to go about conducting the interview so that the child does not feel the trauma of it.
