MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WGNS) — This year marks a quarter century of healing and justice for victims of child abuse in our community as the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) of Rutherford County celebrates its 25th anniversary.

In 2000, then District Attorney Bill Whitesell and founding Director Sharon De Boer worked with a board of directors and the state and local Child Protection Investigative Team to establish the Child Advocacy Center.  The CAC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization which provides a safe space for victims of child abuse, child sexual abuse and drug-endangered children and their non-offending family members in Rutherford and Cannon counties.

“When the Child Advocacy Center was established, we had one employee, a $50,000 budget and we served 246 people the first year,” said De Boer. “The organization has grown tremendously over the last 25 years.  We now have two facilities in Rutherford and Cannon Counties, 13 employees, a $1.3 million budget, and last year we served 1,743 people and trained 1,183 adults how to protect their children from child sexual abuse.”

Since its opening, the National Children’s Alliance-accredited Child Advocacy Center has been a safe haven for nearly 50,000 individuals, including 21,000 children through care services and 16,500 adults in training courses since opening in 2000, with an annual operating budget of $1.28 million. 

“As the population of Rutherford County grows,” said De Boer, “the number of children and families reaching out for our services keeps growing, too.  There is a critical need for the Child Advocacy Center to grow to meet the increasing demand for services.”

The rapid growth of Rutherford County, Tennessee’s fourth largest county, with projections that the population will double over the next 20 years, means that need won’t change anytime soon.

What is truly sobering is understanding that only 38% of victims disclose their abuse, and 40% confide in friends instead of adults, leaving more than 80% of child abuse occurrences unreported.

“We know there are many children who are affected but who never come through our doors,” said Whitesell, the former Child Advocacy Center board chair. “We want the community to know we are here.”

One person’s story

Six years after the CAC opened, Murfreesboro native Evane Stoner walked through its doors when she disclosed sexual abuse by her stepfather. She was 12 years old.

“When this happened to me, I didn’t understand a lot, but I knew they were a safe space where I could share my experiences,” said Stoner, who has become vocal about her childhood trauma after years of work that started at the CAC.

The Child Advocacy Center group therapy sessions for children were the foundation of that healing for her daughter, said Evane’s mother, Susan Stoner.

“The Child Advocacy Center helped nurture Evane through one of the most traumatic events that can happen to anyone,” Susan Stoner said. “They empower the kids.”

A unique collaboration

The CAC provides a child-friendly atmosphere for the Child Protective Investigative Team to respond to child abuse and sexual abuse cases. The team includes Child Advocacy Center staff, Department of Children’s Services, law enforcement and the District Attorney’s Office.

Highly trained staff members conduct legally defensible forensic interviews, ensuring admissible evidence in court. The organization also provides crisis intervention counseling, case management and referrals to community resources.

The Department of Children’s Services receives reports and uses Child Advocacy Center forensic interviews to determine if a child can be released home.

All law enforcement agencies in the county work with the Child Advocacy Center team to investigate the crime, including the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, Murfreesboro Police Department, Smyrna Police Department and the La Vergne Police Department.

The District Attorney’s Office chairs the team and aggressively prosecutes offenders, presenting CAC forensic interviews and testimony in court.

“The very best people in Rutherford County work child abuse and child sexual abuse

cases and they are making a difference every day in children’s lives,” said De Boer. “The collaborative approach of the multidisciplinary team has had incredible results, with perpetrators being held accountable for their crimes, children healing from the trauma, and families rebuilding their shattered lives.”

Additional programs

The Child Advocacy Center also offers a variety of services to the community, including Darkness to Light child sexual abuse prevention training for adults. This training equips school personnel and others with the knowledge to protect children from abuse and respond appropriately when a child reports it. All Rutherford County and Murfreesboro City Schools receive this training.

The Child Advocacy Center’s Drug Endangered Children Program provides intensive in-home services, crisis intervention counseling, alcohol and drug education, and case management.

The CAC also educates parents and family members on relapse prevention, anger management, stress management and parenting.

How you can help

To learn more about the Child Advocacy Center of Rutherford County, visit https://cacrutherford.org/ or call 615-867-9000.