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work at their level. A multi-disciplinary team (MBT) is in place at The CAC. This team consists of representatives from The Paris Police bepartment, Lamar County Sheriff's bepartment, Lamar County Attorney's office, and Child Protective Services. By having all the necessary professionals gathered at The CAC when a child must be interviewed, we strive to interview the child only once. Team members collaborate on the case, and all decisions are made in the best interest of the~child victims. Reducing the number of times the child victim is forced to ,tell their story of abuse reduces the amount of trauma and re-victimization suffered by these children. When a child is suspected to have been the victim of abuse, the child is brought to The CAC. Upon entering the children are welcomed by a child friendly staff member who helps the child adjust to their surroundings and makes them feel at home. The playrooms at The CAC are geared towards children. When it comes time for the interview of the child only one person, a specially trained forensic interviewer, actually talks to the child regarding the abuse. The MbT members watch the interview on videotape as it is being conducted. Team members are able to communicate with the interviewer during the interview, thus ensuring that all the information needed by the different agencies is gathered at that time. The team approach allows all of the professionals involved to exchange valuable information that otherwise might be lost. E~fficient, timely, and comprehensive sharing of information and evidence among participating agencies results in less trauma for the child, stronger cases for the prosecution of the perpetrators, and a more timely exoneration of the innocent. When the interview is completed the child is allowed to go to our "teddy bear room" and pick out any one new stuffed animal they want to take home with them. After the interview is completed CAC staff is ready to help the child with referrals for counseling, medical exams, or any needs the family may have due to the abuse and its aftermath. The CAC opened its doors in April 1999. Since that time we have worked with 890 children and their non-offending family members. (See attached chart for breakdown concerning how many of those clients live in the City of Paris.) We see an average of 26 children each month for forensic interviews and services as described above. The latest project added at The CAC is a Rainbow Room, which provides emergency supplies for children who are going into foster homes or are involved with Child Protective Services. Through this endeavor we serve approximately 1§ children each month, providing them with vital items such as diapers, formula, toothbrushes, clothes, school supplies, etc. All items distributed through The Rainbow Room are brand new.