10-18 Last five years funding history and Resolutions

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Detailed description of project (including description of need, scope of work, methodology, who benefits, number of beneficiaries, other project partners, etc.): The Children's Advocacy Center of Paris (CAC) is a private non-profit 501 c 3 organization The purpose ofa CAC is to reduce the trauma faced by children and their non-offending family members by using a multidisciplinary team approach to investigations This team is made up of representatives from the CAC, the County/District Attorney's Office local law enforcement agencies and Child Protective Services. Children involved in investigations of abuse are now brought to one location a large two-story house designed to be a neutral child-friendly place for families to come during the investigation process Representatives from each agency involved meet at this location to collaborate on each case. Child victims are interviewed by one person a forensic interviewer, trained to talk with children about these situations A forensic interviewer is trained to elicit information from children in a non-leading, non- threatening manner that is legally defensible and will stand up in court. The interview is viewed by the other professionals involved through a closed-circuit camera system. Every effort is made to ensure that all information is obtained in one interview so that the child does not have to repeat details of abuse over and over again CAC staff members then provide follow up services for families and are available to assist them as their case makes its way through the criminal iustice system Established in 1999, the CAC has served 2,268 children and their non-offending family members The average number of children served per year is 235. Approximately 72% of all children served by the Center live in Lamar County and 60% of all the children served live in the City of Paris. Since its inception the CAC has continued to expand its services to better meet the needs of child victims and their non-offending family members. The CAC currently provides onsite sexual assault exams by highly trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs). The Rainbow Room is an emergency resource room for children involved in CPS investigations and for children being placed in foster care Other services include but are not limited to: court accompaniment, assistance with Crime Victim's Compensation claims and mental health referrals. This year the CAC is working to establish a Drug Endangered Children (DEC) program to work with children who suffer physical or emotional risk as a result of illegal drug use manufacturing cultivation or distribution. City of Paris Revised 6/10/08 0 i04