To Report Child Abuse in TN:
1-877-237-0004 and our 24-hour Crisis Hotline #:1-800-273-4747
Mission
Our Mission is to provide support to families in preventing and dealing with child abuse in West Tennessee, and to help both parents and children meet the practical needs of preserving and and improving the quality of family life. Company Overview
At the 1979 National Convention, the Exchange Club adopted child abuse prevention as its primary focus of service. Representatives from the Jackson Exchange Club were present at the convention and immediately began working on establishing a child abuse prevention center upon their return to Jackson. Around the same time, legendary Rock-a-Billy artist, Carl Perkins, was spurned to action by the media coverage of a local young boy who had died as the result of child abuse. Through a grant from the National Exchange Club Foundation and the fundraising efforts
of club members and Carl, the Center was founded in October 1981. Since that time, the Center has continued to grow and expand its program and services into many other West Tennessee counties and has served thousands of children and their families. The Center combines a professional staff with trained volunteers to provide quality services to children and their families. Description
A Child Advocacy Center is designed to be a safe, child-friendly environment where children, who have been the victims of physical or sexual abuse, can talk about the trauma they have experienced and begin the healing process. Law enforcement officials, the District Attorney’s Office, Juvenile Court, the Department of Children’s Services and other agencies who are involved in the investigation, prosecution and treatment of child abuse cases all come together as a cohesive unit to work for the child’s best interests. The first thing you will notice about our Advocacy Centers is how much they look like homes instead of office or clinical settings. This is done so that the child does not feel threatened by his or her surroundings; thus, the focus can be on the healing process rather than the unfamiliar environment. The Advocacy Center allows each child’s needs to remain the focal point of the process, rather than transporting the child from agency to agency for the grueling process of discovery, medical exams and treatment. General Information
Services we offer include a 24-hour crisis hotline, crisis intervention, parent training and parenting groups, divorce education program, child advocacy services, child victims program, child sexual abuse victim’s group, relative caregiver program, drug endangered/exposed children’s program, emergency assistance, food and clothing assistance, Stewards of Children training, child abuse prevention, and community awareness programs.
