The Children’s Place St. Clair Children Advocacy Center has served survivors of child abuse and their families since 1992 through prevention programs in Pell City and St. Clair County Schools, counseling for survivors of child abuse and their families, forensic interviews in abuse investigations, as well as providing court mandated classes for couples divorcing in St. Clair County. 

At the March 26 Pell City City Council meeting, they received a proclamation from the city, presented by Councilman Jay Jenkins and accepted by Cheryl Fagan, Prevention Specialist with The Children’s Place. April 2018 was proclaimed as Child Abuse Prevention Month and Children’s Place 25^th Anniversary month.

The proclamation from Mayor Bill Pruitt, City Council, and City Manager states, “Whereas, effective child abuse prevention strategies succeed because of partnerships created among citizens, human service agencies, schools, faith communities, health care providers, civic organizations, law enforcement agencies, and the business community.”

According to a study by the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there were 686,000 child maltreatment victims or 9.2 per 1,000 children in 2012. Of those children, 78.3 percent of child maltreatment victims experienced neglect, 18.3 percent were physically abused, 9.3 percent were sexually abused, 8.5 percent were psychologically maltreated, and 2.3 percent were medically neglected. In addition, 10.6 percent of child victims experienced other types of maltreatment. Children that are victims of more than one type of maltreatment, or polyvictimization, showed increased levels of distress, such as anxiety, depression, anger, and PTSD.

The Children’s Place initially began primarily as an educational and prevention outreach, but has grown to include intervention, counseling, and classes which are offered free to children who have been abused and their families.

While the non-profit group is instrumental in support and a needed resource for children who have been abused, they also focus on prevention. Since inception in 1992, the prevention curriculum has grown to include all classrooms from grades kindergarten-eighth within St. Clair County and Pell City School Systems, encompassing over 7641 students in 2017. 

The proclamation presented to The Children’s Place also stated, “children are vital to our state’s future success, prosperity and quality of life as well as being our most vulnerable citizens; and all children deserve to have the safe, stable, nurturing homes and communities they need to foster their healthy growth and development; and child abuse and neglect is a community responsibility affecting both the current and future quality of life of a community.”

It went on to “call upon all citizens, community agencies, faith groups, elected leaders and businesses to continue their support of The Children’s Place and their efforts to prevent child abuse.”

The Children’s Place will be celebrating its 25^th year of serving the community with an annual Benefit luncheon on Tuesday, April 24 at Pell City First Baptist Church.  For more information about supporting The Children’s Place or attending the luncheon, contact 205-338-8847.