County groups bring awareness to child abuse in county

April is child abuse prevention month.  

On Friday, April 5,  at 10 am, the Milam County CPS Board and members of the CASA of Milam County joined together to spread  awareness at the Milam County Courthouse.

This event kicked off Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month with an official Proclamation of Support given by Milam County Judge Bill Whitmire.  

Following the presentation, the community planted blue pinwheels on the Courthouse lawn.   

Children who are the victims of abuse, endangerment, and neglect and are often overlooked by our fast-paced society, but they shouldn’t be. 

Whitmire said in the proclamation that “child abuse and neglect affect both the current and future quality of life of a community,” and, “all children deserve to have the safe, stable, nurturing homes and communities they need to foster their healthy growth and development.” 

These blue pinwheels represent the 170 or so Milam County kids who are placed in foster care or were victims of child abuse in the last year.

The four agencies that we have in Milam County who deal with the needs of our children are the Milam County CPS Board, CASA of Milam County, the Children’s Advocacy Center of Central Texas, and A Place of Hope. All four of these Non-Profit agencies work to represent the children of Milam County, to provide the social support, impart the knowledge of child development, and provide the concrete resources the Community needs to ensure all children grow to their full potential. They need your help, whether monetarily or as a volunteer they need your help, for to help them is to help a child in need. 

The Children’s Advocacy Center of Central Texas, located in Belton, provides comprehensive services in Milam County which promote hope, healing, and justice to child abuse survivors and their families. 

The center provides a safe and comfortable environment where alleged child victims and their families come for collaborative investigative services. Law enforcement and Child Protective Services (CPS) refer all cases to the CACCT that meet the following criteria: sexual abuse, severe physical abuse, high risk for abuse, witness to violent crime, and domestic minor sex trafficking. Trained forensic interviewers work with law enforcement, CPS, and prosecution personnel to provide quality forensic interviews to assist in the investigative process. 

At least monthly, county team meets with a multidisciplinary team (MDT) that includes law enforcement, CPS, medical and mental health professionals, and prosecutors to continue coordinating the cases to achieve a positive outcome for both the children and the agencies investigating the abuse. In addition, we provide family advocacy, counseling, and coordinate pediatric sexual assault and forensic exams with McLane’s Children’s Hospital.   

In 2022, the CACCT provided services to 816 children in total, 42 residing in Milam County. 

The Milam County CPS Board works to bring communities and families together by providing both resources and education.

The organization is committed to helping families and children receiving Child Protective Services (CPS).  Each year, the Board ensures that every kid in care in Milam County receives Christmas gifts donated by community members of Milam County.  

Additionally, the organizations helps provide clothing, school supplies, financial assistance for school related activities, and other special needs children in foster care may need. The Board provides continued support and resources for families going through the adoption process, and is celebrated when completed.  

The organization also supplies and operates the Rainbow Room in Milam County, providing emergency supplies and services to families needing this service.  The Milam County CPS Board has assisted over 145 Milam County children this past year. 

 CASA of Milam County and the child welfare system are working towards building a more family-focused network to better serve the best interest of children. The overarching goal with family engagement is to help achieve strong connectivity and permanency, preferably reunification or adoption by relatives when safe and possible. If reunification is not safe or possible, CASA volunteers will advocate for the child to be adopted by, or live with, other relatives or family friends. If that is also not possible, CASA volunteers will work towards adoption by a non-relative. 

For more information or to volunteer you can contact Rachel Owens for CASA of Milam County and Milam County CPS Board at captainneo1@yahoo.com or casaofmilamcounty@gmail.com.