The CARE House: Making a Real Difference For Vulnerable Childrenposted on Monday, January 17, 2011 The CARE House, a subsidiary organization of HopeHealth, celebrated its own anniversary at the end of 2010 five years of providing essential advocacy services to victims of child abuse and neglect. Founded in 2005, The CARE House serves 10 counties in the Pee Dee, providing medical examinations, forensic interviewing and behavioral health counseling to vulnerable children in a safe and welcoming environment. CARE stands for Child Abuse Resource and Evaluation. When there is suspected abuse or neglect in a home, the last thing a child needs is more trauma as the situation is investigated, said Kathy Saunders, the nurse practitioner and medical examiner. We are able to connect these children to help meet their needs while protecting them from unnecessary discomfort or fear during the process. Skilled professionals conduct these investigations in partnership with local law enforcement, social services and other agencies. The CARE House is funded by organizational and community grants as well as private donations. While the unfortunate truth is that the demand for services has drastically increased since The CARE Houses founding, it is reassuring to consider how many vulnerable children are helped. The CARE House does not provide lodging for abused children, but is the only Child Advocacy Center in the state that is open for emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is also the only CAC in the region to be accredited by the National Childrens Alliance. In 2009, an estimated 900 children passed through The CARE Houses doors; in 2010, Dr. Saunders predicted, they will have seen 1,300. This growth poses several challenges for an organization with a small building and a small number of staff. Jamie DeWeerdt, the newly appointed executive director, outlined a number of goals for the coming year. We are developing a strategic plan for next year that will help us better define who we are as an organization and address the growing needs of the center including expansion, Ms. DeWeerdt said. She anticipates the need for either an addition built onto The CARE Houses current location or for relocation to a larger facility, and will also be working to secure additional grant funding to help expand capacity and grow programs and services available at the CARE House. Ms. DeWeerdt comes to The CARE House with a recently earned Masters Degree in Human Resource Development from Clemson University. She most recently worked in advertising and marketing and is pleased to make the switch to the non-profit sector. I love it here, she said, Everyone has been wonderful, and I look forward to working with such a talented group of people that are so passionate about helping children and this community. An active Board of Directors guides Ms. DeWeerdt and the staff, and includes Florence City Police Major Carlos Raines, Dwayne Brockington of First Reliance Bank, Brian Miller of SC Telco and Elizabeth Poston, who has an extensive social work background.� Two additional board members have been appointed and will begin serving in January. In addition to the day-to-day work within The CARE House, the staff is responsible for providing testimony in court proceedings based on their investigations. They also offer educational programs to help teachers, social workers and the general public to help prevent child abuse and also to recognize the signs of potential abuse and learn how to make referrals through the appropriate channels. The CARE House recently hosted its annual Christmas party for the children they have provided services for in the past year and were able to distribute donated gifts to the children. Also in December, they opened their doors to the law enforcement officers, social workers, attorneys, prosecutors and donors who maintain partnerships with The CARE House for an annual open house. Both Ms. DeWeerdt and Dr. Saunders expressed gratitude for all those who have donated time, money, food, office supplies, expertise and support to The CARE House. HopeHealth has been affiliated with The CARE House since early 2009 and proudly supports its admirable mission. For more information about The CARE House, call (843) 629-0236 or visit www.thecarehouse.com. * This is a printer friendly version of the original page, made to save you ink and paper.
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