Child Advocacy Center of East Alabama helps children across Lee and Macon Counties

For most, the color blue in April means springtime and Easter, but for 275 children in Lee and Macon Counties, it's the color of hope.
April is Child Abuse Awareness Month, and in participating organizations like the Child Advocacy Center of East Alabama, a solid blue ribbon promotes the cause it fights every day.
"The mission of the CAC is to advocate for children when there are allegations of physical and sexual abuse against them," said Abe White, the advocacy center's program coordinator. "Our main job is to provide forensic interviews, counseling services and court preparation, if necessary. That's the nuts and bolts of what we do."
While the rest of the county awaits A-Day and Easter baskets, White stays busy trying to protect the children that walk through the center's doors.
"We handle kids all over Lee and Macon Counties," White said. "We see kids from Smiths Station, Phenix City and Auburn, too. The students at Auburn University would never guess what's going on in their backyard."
Auburn students may be in their own protected campus bubble, but fortunately, Auburn Mayor Bill Ham recognizes what the advocacy center does for his city.
"I think very few people in the community and maybe even the state realize the issues we have going on right here in Lee County," Ham said. "We have local children's advocates for a reason. The center does a great job of supporting and protecting our children. They do wonderful work, and they deserved to be recognized for it."
Each year in April, the CAC holds a ceremony to recognize the organizations and people in Lee and Macon Counties that make a difference in children's lives.
"This was my 16th year attending the advocacy's center's event," Ham said. "The ceremony reminds me of the wonderful people we have in our community. Gene Chizik's wife, Jonna Chizik, is heavily involved in a tremendous number of children's organizations. When you look around and see the number of people who come out to support or make a difference, it makes me feel good about Lee County. Thanks to the CAC, we actually make an effort to help."
The center held its annual event Thursday, April 10, with a special addition to its services. This year, the CAC had the ribbon cutting of its brand new "SANE room" or "Sexual Assault Nurse Examination room," where victims of sexual or physical abuse can be examined in a safe and comforting environment.
"We want to make things easier for the child," White said. "If a child is a victim of abuse and needs a medical examination, this room allows them to get everything done in one place. This way, they won't have to travel all the way to Birmingham or wherever to get a rape kit done. They can talk about it here, and then get examined here. It makes things ultimately less traumatic."
White did the honors and cut the ribbon on Thursday.
"With the addition of the SANE room, we're showing how the CAC is here, and that we're going to continue to provide services to kids that are going through a horrible ordeal," White continued. "We're going to improve and expand our services until the day that child abuse doesn't exist. Until then, we're here."
Unfortunately, the cases seen at the Child Advocacy Center of East Alabama are only getting worse.
"I had a kid under the age of 10 sit in front of me and tell me about her favorite Junie B. Jones book, and then talk about how afterward she'd 'suck Dad's cock' in the same breath," said Tina Evans, CAC forensic interviewer. "I've done work with abused and neglected children for quite some time, and you think you've seen everything, but then something worse comes along and you ask yourself 'Are you kidding me?'"
Evans said the majority of people have no idea what she works with.
"It's not always a 48-year-old man with a 3-year-old," Evans said. "You'll see sibling on sibling, cousins, things that happen on sleepovers with friends - you name it. Stuff happens at school, daycare and everywhere. No place is safe anymore."
What frustrates Evans most, however, are the false assumptions people make about child abuse in general.
"There is a misconception that abuse happens to only 'lower class people' or people who are poor, but we have kids in here whose parents are wealthy," Evans said. "You can't just look for the kid with the dirty rags on. We have a good number of kids from Auburn and Opelika. Abuse is everywhere - even where you don't expect it."
April is the month for child abuse awareness, and to raise it, Evans stressed the importance of reporting a case as soon as you have suspicions.
"Don't turn a blind eye, and don't look the other way," Evans advised. "When you see something, report it. You don't need solid evidence, and you don't need to give your name. Maybe it's nothing... but what if it isn't?"
Sometimes, children are old enough to understand when abuse occurs, but often abuse is all they know.
"When you have a little kid under the age of 5 tell you 'my Daddy's pee-pee was crying because I made it so happy,' you realize how many of them don't understand what's happened to them," Evans said. "They need you to pay attention, and they need you to listen. Be a voice for the voiceless - not just during the month of April, but all year round."
To report a case of child abuse or neglect, contact the Lee County Department of Human Resources and ask for Family and Child Services, or call (334) 737-1100.