PARSONS – The Randolph Tucker Children’s Advocacy Center in Parsons hosted an open house of their updated offices Wednesday in the Tucker County Courthouse basement. Randolph Tucker CAC Executive Director Lydia Johnson said the changes were made to help clients feel more comfortable and provide more privacy.
“The Randolph Tucker CAC is set up to provide service directly to families and children,” Johnson said. “We have this space set up so that families can bring children here when there is a concern about child abuse or neglect. We most heavily focus on sexual abuse – about 90 plus of our cases are about sexual abuse concerns.”
Johnson said the space is set up so a child can have a one-on-one interview in a space that feels safe.
“We also provide advocacy services,” Johnson said. “We have an advocate on staff and we work with Women’s Aid in Crisis. The advocacy piece has to do with working with families when they are in crisis. Even the well-resourced families, if there is a concern of sexual abuse for their child, it is a crisis.”
Johnson said people are often in a state of shock during these times and they are unsure what to do.
“Part of our job is to help support them during that time,” Johnson said. “We answer questions, and if does come forward that something did happen to a child and there is a criminal charge that comes forward, we also support families through court.”
Johnson said the vision of the group was to have a family room in the Parsons CAC space.
“Because of the limitations in the Parsons site, we really did not have a really good place for families to sit and wait for the child,” Johnson said. “Also, sometime we have sibling groups and people have to hang out in the hallway, and it didn’t allow our staff to really provide good support for them and didn’t allow space for kids to be entertained while they were waiting. It also was difficult with privacy because of sound transfer from the interview room.”
Johnson said the Parsons CAC partnered with the Tucker County Sheriff’s Office and allowed them to use part of their space.
“The maintenance staff at the Tucker County Courthouse really generously donated their time,” Johnson said. “We purchased the supplies and they built the extra room for us and painted it. Now, we have furnished the space.”
Johnson said the Sisters of St. Joseph Health and Wellness supported lots of their work this year.
“We were very excited to be chosen as one of McDonough Foundation award recipients at the Run-For-It this year,” Johnson said. “We have spent a little under $3,000 for the repairs and updates.”
Johnson said the group is really excited about the work they are doing.
“The most important part of the CAC is the model of collaboration,” Johnson said. “The point is to bring everyone together and reduce duplication, save money and to put the kid’s needs first with our trauma informed approach.”
Additional information about the CAC is available by calling 304-630-2214.
