KARE calls attention to child abuse in the community
Members of the community turned out to raise awareness surrounding the increase in child abuse cases in Haywood County. Quintin Ellison photo
Members of the community, including numerous people from several law enforcement agencies, gathered on the lawn in front of Haywood County’s historic courthouse last Wednesday for an event to highlight a growing problem in our community — child abuse.
The event, put on by Kids Advocacy Resource Effort (KARE), featured several speakers, who all read from a list of 383 cases the nonprofit handled last year. However, instead of using the children’s names attached to each case, the 11 speakers referred to each simply as either John Doe or Jane Doe, followed by their age.
According to KARE’s website, the organization is a nationally accredited child advocacy center dedicated to supporting children and families affected by child abuse, neglect or exploitation.
“We accomplish this through comprehensive services including outreach, advocacy, specialized interventions, and a collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach,” the website says.
“All our services are provided at no cost to ensure accessibility and to minimize further trauma to survivors and their families,” it adds. “By offering a wide range of support in a single location, we aim to foster a safe and nurturing environment for all those we serve.”
District Attorney Ashley Welch’s office handles criminal child abuse cases. At the event, she discussed how important these cases are and how important community awareness around this issue is.
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“We appreciate the efforts of KARE House in bringing awareness to victims of child abuse,” Welch said. “No one, particularly our most vulnerable, should be subjected to others’ exploitation. This office will continue to vigorously prosecute perpetrators.”
Following the event, Haywood County Sheriff Bill Wilke offered a statement reaffirming his office’s commitment to not only the issue, but also KARE.
“On behalf of the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office, I want to express how proud we are to stand alongside the KARE House in their tireless efforts to bring awareness to child abuse in Haywood County,” Wilke said. “Protecting our most vulnerable is one of our highest priorities, and we are grateful for the work KARE does every day to support children and families in crisis. Together, we are committed to building safer, stronger communities and putting an end to child abuse.”
KARE’s assistant director, Abby Bearden, said that the community awareness event was modeled after something a child advocacy center in Dallas has done in the past.
“This was meant to be impactful, meant to help our community understand that child abuse and neglect happen no matter where you are,” Bearden said. “There are children who experience the unthinkable, so we wanted people to understand this is something that is real and deserves real attention.”
Bearden also noted that the problem of child abuse in the community appears to be getting worse. While she said there are usually about 250 cases each year, last year’s 383 cases serve as a stark sign that this problem is likely growing.
“We are already on track to see similar numbers this year,” she said. “We can play the blame game with whatever we want; there are all kinds of reasons the number can be higher. But it’s higher.”
Ultimately, Bearden said she hopes last week’s community awareness event hit its mark, revealing for folks the severity of the issue to hopefully inspire action.
“What we really hoped to do is help people understand we exist,” she said. “I feel like a lot of people don’t necessarily know about KARE and the work that we do.”
KARE’s services are free of charge, and Bearden said all barriers are removed so any child can have a safe place to share their story. For more information, visit karehouse.org.
