First Lady Andrea Conte is a long time victim advocate and has been involved for many years with Child Advocacy Centers in Tennessee. She has participated in numerous public programs as a spokesperson, moderator and panel member, and is co-chair of First Families Council, a national effort to promote Child Advocacy Centers. She is also the founder of You Have the Power. For more background information, click here.
You Have the Power has provided public programs on victim advocacy issues since 1993, with a focus on preventable crimes such as domestic violence, elder abuse, and child sexual abuse. In addition to conducting programs for the general public, You Have the Power creates resource guidebooks and video documentaries to raise awareness about the prevalence of child abuse, and these materials are used by community and government groups across the country. For more detailed information, please visit the web site at yhtp.org.
The Tennessee Chapter of Child Advocacy Centers has a long history of providing training and other professional services for Child Protective Investigative Team members. The Chapter also plays a major role in identifying untapped funding sources for Centers, compiles statistical data from the State's Centers, and provides networking and support activities. The Tennessee Chapter is the steward for the funds directly raised as a result of this project, and at the conclusion of the walk, the Tennessee Chapter & its advisory committee will oversee distribution of funds.
Children's Advocacy Centers offer a comprehensive approach to providing services for child victims of sexual or severe physical abuse and their families. The Centers foster community partnerships among professionals dedicated to pursuing the truth in child abuse investigations.
Children's Advocacy Centers coordinate investigation and intervention services by bringing together professionals and agencies as a multidisciplinary team to create a child-focused approach to child abuse cases. The goal is to ensure that children are not re-victimized by the very system designed to protect them. The Law enforcement, child protective services, prosecution, mental health and medical services are partners in this multidisciplinary team approach. Centers are community-based and are designed by professionals and volunteers to meet the unique needs of a particular community.
Communities with a Child Advocacy Center benefit in many ways, including more immediate follow-up to child abuse reports, more efficient medical and mental health referrals, reduction in the number of child victim interviews, increased successful prosecution, and consistent support for child victims and supportive adults. This comprehensive approach, with follow-up services provided by the Child Advocacy Center, ensures that children receive child-focused services in a child-friendly environment - one in which the child's needs come first.
The first Child Advocacy Center in Tennessee was established in 1989 in Blountville. Today there are 32 child advocacy programs statewide. To make a donation to one of Tennessee's child advocacy centers or to find out more information about a center, please call the Tennessee Chapter of Child Advocacy Centers at 615.327.9450. For a complete list of Child Advocacy Centers in Tennessee, click here.
Reporting child abuse: The Tennessee Department of Children's Services has a 24 hour hotline for reporting suspected child abuse: 1.877.237.0004.