Child Advocacy Center The Fulton County District Attorney's Office has been a member of multi-agency planning team to build the first comprehensive children's advocacy program in Fulton County. Our office has worked on behalf of the advocacy center to identify funding sources, develop program plans and begin board development activities. Child abuse and neglect are persistent problems that are common to every city and town in the United States. In the City of Atlanta and throughout Fulton County the Department of Family and Children's Services (DFACS) and the police have been the only defense children have against abuse. These two organizations are currently not adequately staffed or equipped to handle the overwhelming number of cases they receive. Furthermore, the criminal justice system has been fighting a loosing battle with child abuse cases. There are more cases than the system can adequately handle leading to longer case processing times and fewer convictions of perpetrators of the crimes of criminal neglect and sexual abuse. Many child abuse cases have fallen through the cracks in Fulton County to the detriment of children like Terrell Peterson and Terrance Bailey. Both of these boys were murdered by their caregivers after being seen numerous times by case workers, hospital staff and the police. Their deaths could have been prevented, but because of gaps in services and negligence within the system these boys died after enduring years of abuse and torture. The steering committee for the Children's Advocacy Center of Fulton County believes there is a remedy to the disorganized and malfunctioning system that is currently in place to protect children. The advocacy center is a solution that will forever change the way child abuse is treated and investigated in Fulton County. The solution is the co-location of all the agencies that handle child abuse cases in order to create better communication and accountability between agencies. A multi-disciplinary team made up of police, DFACS, advocacy center psychotherapists, doctors and victim advocates, will investigate cases at the advocacy center. The team approach ensures that no one agency will decide the child's fate. It is the belief of the steering committee that the changes made through the Advocacy Center will prevent the needless deaths of children and make healing from physical and sexual abuse possible for many children who currently do not receive the treatment services they need. Treatment is what makes it possible for children to heal from sexual and physical abuse. Treatment is also the key to stopping the cycle of abuse in individuals and future generations. We believe that all children deserve to be treated in a facility that is comfortable, inviting and child-friendly. We want to give those children, who have suffered so much, a safe and welcoming place of their own. The Children's Advocacy Center of Fulton County will be such a place.
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Questions, Comments? Please email: nicole.vaughn@co.fulton.ga.us © 2004, Fulton County District Attorney, all rights reserved.