Sophia's Healing Journey
Child abuse and sexual exploitation are hard to talk about. At the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County (CAC), we focus on ending abuse and helping families heal each and every day. And we do it with thoughtful, evidence-based services that keep each child and their family at the heart of everything.
Your support today will make it possible for the CAC to do this lifesaving work for nearly 2,000 children each year.
Children like Sophia. . .
When she was eight years old, Sophia was abused by a member of her extended family. When she came forward, she had something not every child has. . . supportive caregivers who believed her. They immediately took action to get her the help she needed.
Thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, that help came from the CAC. Sophia met with our team at our child-friendly center. . . first to gather facts about her case in a trauma-informed way. Then, she and her family met with specially trained staff from the CAC who gave them the tools to process what Sophia had been through and support her in moving forward.
The team’s care was centered around Sophia and her family and what they needed to heal.
Today, at 13 years old, Sophia is an advocate for other survivors. She recently spoke at our Step Up & Speak Out benefit and had this powerful message:
“Not every child is believed. We need to increase awareness about abuse, so that kids know they are not alone and it’s not their fault. And when they do tell, we need to be sure that they have people who will help them and fight for them. My wish, is that every child who comes forward has a team like I did to stand with them and to help make their voice louder.”
With your support we can ensure that each child who walks through our Center’s doors has a skilled team and receives the expert care they need and deserve.