It takes a village to raise a child- especially to keep a child safe. Even when we do our best, which is all anyone can do, things happen that are beyond our control or reach. Even if we put on our seat belts or wear our helmets our safety isn't 100% guaranteed. While we can do everything in our power to prevent things from occurring, life simply isn't 100% in our control. Most caregivers do everything they can in their power to protect children in their care, yet childhood sexual assault is a reality for one out of every five children in America. This reality causes families and caregivers to feel overwhelmingly defeated. Thankfully, Mecklenburg County, NC has Pat’s Place to comfort and guide families back to a state of empowerment, safety, and care.
April is Childhood Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month, so we are proud to spotlight such an astounding community resource. Pat’s Place is a child advocacy center for children (birth-18 years) who have been sexually assaulted and their families. Pat's Place provides a safe environment for violated children to heal and receive the treatment and resources they need. Pat's Place also serves as a vessel for all helping advocates and professionals to gather and acquire all of the information they need in order to help, protect, and provide justice for the assaulted child. They works closely with several local law enforcement agencies, such as Davidson Police Department and Mecklenburg-Charlotte Police Department, as well as Mecklenburg’s Social Services, and District Attorney’s Office, to help with the investigation.
Pat’s Place uses a Child Advocacy Model in attempt to reduce the number of times a child is interviewed, which can cause re-traumatization, and provide a one stop shop for other necessary services, such as law enforcement and medical assistance. Oftentimes, children who have been assaulted must be interviewed in order to acquire specific information for investigations and treatments to be provided. A skilled child advocacy interviewer conducts the interview in a comfortable room, while investigators and others can watch from another room, so the child is not intimidated or uncomfortable while talking about their trauma, and to limit the amount of times they have to elaborate on their traumatic experience. Pat's Place also has an onsite medical examination room, so the family is not having to travel to a hospital in order to obtain necessary treatments.
We are thrilled to have such wonderful people working in our community and helping those families and children get through this difficult time. Pat's Place provides educational presentations for the public in hopes to reduce the number of sexual abuse in our communities. They also provide ways for you to participate in making this community safe for all children, by hosting many exciting fundraisers and educational events as well as volunteer and donation opportunities. For more information, visit Pat’s Place Website, or call at 704-335-2760.
