MURFREESBORO – “When the pandemic began last year we did not realize the impact it was going to have on child abuse cases,” stated Child Advocacy Center director Sharon De Boer.  “Child abuse reporting has increased 24% in Rutherford and Cannon Counties since July of 2020.” 

The Child Advocacy Center of Rutherford County and the Cannon County Child Advocacy Center work as a multidisciplinary team with Department of Children’s Services, law enforcement, and the District Attorney’s Office on the state mandated Child Protective Investigative Teams in Rutherford and Cannon Counties.  They respond as team to child abuse, child sexual abuse, and drug endangered children cases. 

In the last 21 years, the Child Advocacy Center and the CPIT Teams have assisted 10.8% of the population of Rutherford and Cannon Counties.  The Rutherford and Cannon County Child Protective Investigative Teams have investigated and aggressively prosecuted 16,588 child abuse cases, provided valuable crisis intervention services to 25,243 individuals, and trained 12,191 adults how to protect children from child sexual abuse.   

In response to the increase in child abuse reporting, there is currently a budget amendment in the state legislature that will give increased funding to Child Advocacy Centers.  Here’s where you come in.  The Child Advocacy Center is asking for your help.  Please contact your state legislators and ask them to support the Child Advocacy Centers budget amendment.   

Please click this link and put in your address to find your legislator.   https://www.capitol.tn.gov/legislators/  

MESSAGE from CAC: 

Please vote to support the Child Advocacy Centers budget amendment sponsored by White and Jackson in the Senate and the House.  This amendment will provide critically needed funding to Tennessee Child Advocacy Centers. 

For questions or additional information, please contact the Child Advocacy Center at 615-867-9000.