CLEVELAND, Tenn. — An advocacy center has opened in Bradley County to help children who have suffered sexual abuse.
The Child Advocacy Center is set up so that all aspects of a child sexual abuse investigation can be done in one place, from medical exams to forensic interviews, executive director Teresa Grant said.
“It’s a very child-friendly place for interviews,” Ms. Grant said.
The center is in rented office space. It includes a play area, television and lots of toys in the lobby to make children feel comfortable. During interviews, a master’s level social worker asks questions and periodically checks in with police and attorneys to make sure she is getting the information they need.
WHAT’S NEW?The Child Advocacy Center is at 781 N. Ocoee St. in Cleveland, Tenn.For more information, call Teresa Grant at 423-744-0599.
Before the center opened on North Ocoee Street, children had to travel more than 30 miles to a center in Athens, Tenn., Ms. Grant said. More than half of the 350 children sent annually to the McMinn County Child Advocacy Center were from Bradley County.
So when money became available, Ms. Grant said, she worked to open a center in Cleveland. Funding came through the United Way and the Office of Criminal Justice Program.
“I’m hopeful that children and families will get more follow-up services than they did when they had to drive more than 30 miles away,” she said.
The drive to McMinn County made it hard for many families to return for counseling and services when the initial interviews were completed, she explained.
Assistant District Attorney Stephen Hatchett said having a center in Cleveland saves time for children and their families, as well as police and investigators.
“It’s a long drive for families and obviously a long drive for children who are put in the position where they may be victims of sexual abuse,” Mr. Hatchett said.