Frost Brown Todd (FBT) is pleased to announce that William (“Bill”) George, an attorney in the firm’s Lexington office, has been elected President of the Board of Directors for the Children’s Advocacy Center of the Bluegrass. A non-profit organization, the Center is a healing place for children and families who have been impacted by the most serious forms of child abuse.
“Our approach is unique to assist each child and their family in their time of need. No one ever would want this to happen to any child, but unfortunately it does, more often than anyone wants to admit. Instead of having a very formal and rigid approach to assisting a traumatized child and their family, the Center offers a safe, child-friendly environment with professionals specifically trained to handle these child abuse cases. This process ensures children aren’t subjected to repeated interviews and medical exams,” explains Bill, who has served on the Board since 2011, including two years as Vice-President. “The Center also assists law enforcement in their never-ending pursuit of justice in tracking down, apprehending and prosecuting those who have no regard for the safety and well-being of children,” he adds.
The Center is modeled on the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC), which has revolutionized our nation’s response to child sexual abuse. In the past 30 years, NCAC has put in place a more effective process for handling cases based on a multidisciplinary team approach, bringing together law enforcement, prosecutors, child protective services, and medical and mental health workers onto one team for the benefit of victims, their recovery and long-term healing.
More than 900 centers are currently operating in the United States and in more than 25 countries throughout the world. Through donations, the Center is almost exclusively self-funded and offers its services at no cost for children and their non-offending families throughout 17 counties in Central Kentucky. In the past year, the Center has provided help and assistance for more than 750 children and families impacted by child abuse. In June 2015, the Center was again recognized by the National Children’s Alliance as one of the nation’s premier advocacy centers following an extensive re-accreditation application and site review.
The Board’s annual and signature fund-raising event, “An Evening for the Children’s Advocacy Center,” will be held August 21 at the Carrick House in Lexington, Kentucky. Tickets are available by calling the Center. For more information about the Children’s Advocacy Center, please visit www.kykids.org.