To commemorate April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Talbot County Children’s Advocacy Center (TCCAC) is raising awareness about child abuse prevention efforts in the five counties on the Mid-Shore.
The CAC coordinates with local law enforcement, Talbot County Department of Social Services, Talbot County States Attorney’s Office, and medical and behavioral health providers to offer comprehensive, multi-disciplinary responses to alleged incidents of child sexual and physical abuse. In partnership with the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health and TCCAC Medical Director Dale Jafari, DNP, FNP-BC, the CAC provides noninvasive, forensic medical examinations in a secure location for families in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties. The TCCAC also provides family advocacy and support, as well as access to various treatment services.
According to Lauren Krasko, TCCAC Supervisor, TCCAC has provided a collaborative, trauma-informed Multidisciplinary Team response to 31 new children since January 1, 2025. Of these responses, 12 have been for sexual abuse allegations, 16 for physical abuse allegations, two for neglect allegations, and eight for other allegations. A total of 23 forensic interviews and 20 medical exams were conducted. TCCAC’s family advocacy program provided 250 sessions to 77 victims and their caregivers this quarter.
“In addition, we have provided nine families with emergency assistance for rent, utilities, food, transportation, and relocation expenses to help them maintain stability amidst the crisis they are experiencing. Funds to provide emergency assistance help families meet their basic safety needs so they can focus on healing,” Krasko adds.
A parent of a recent child abuse victim shared with the TCCAC family advocate about her daughter’s experience with group therapy, “I am so grateful for working with these ladies. They are so wonderful . . . she [her daughter] shared in the circle and talked about how isolated she felt after her experience and how coming to the group helps her feel she has a community, and she can tell everyone is there to support each other.”
This quarter, a second full time family advocate joined the team. “Having two family advocates has been an incredible asset to ensure all of the victims/ non-offending caregivers’ needs are fulfilled and each victim/ non-offending caregiver feels sufficiently supported,” Kristyn Schneider, TCCAC Coordinator shares.
All families are provided with family advocacy support and services and receive referrals for outside services based on their needs assessments, which are completed during the initial intake meeting. The family advocate provided mental health services, educational assistance, and independent living services to 11 teenagers this quarter, including weekly support sessions with the victims.
“Without the funds provided by grants and donations to Talbot Community Connections, our nonprofit advisory arm, these victims wouldn’t have received the necessary supportive mental health services needed to begin healing” adds Krasko.
TCCAC has also provided three group art therapy sessions to six victims this quarter. TCCAC generally conducts one fall group art therapy session and one spring group art therapy session. However, the girls involved have been making such progress and have been requested to continue the groups throughout the winter months. The family advocates were able to organize monthly group art sessions to help maintain the relationships between the girls and increase feelings of peer support to ensure they are getting the help they need to continue their healing journeys. In addition to art therapy, TCCAC continues to provide equine therapy referrals to participants with Lisa May, an instructor accredited by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship.
To further community education and outreach this quarter, TCDSS has provided community education through Empower Me, a child abuse prevention program adopted in Talbot County in 2014 as community initiative of personal safety. This quarter, four Empower Me presentations were provided at a local private school. Every third-grade classroom at the Country School received a presentation, and every first-grade classroom at the Country School was provided with a presentation and materials to take home. The children were actively engaged in the presentations and all participated in conversations about their personal safety and safe adults.
Talbot Community Connections (TCC), a nonprofit arm of the Talbot County Department of Social Services, has the mission to raise and distribute funds to answer unmet needs that are fundamental to the safety, security, health and well-being of Talbot County’s children and adults. These needs cross all economic levels. The funds raised by TCC provide help to abused children through the TCCAC for families in crisis, those who are unemployed, low-income working families, those with disabilities and frail elderly. TCC awards provided funds for respite care, prevention of evictions and utility disconnects, therapeutic activities for children with disabilities in foster care, housing fuel, transportation, and a fatherhood program.
The TCCAC can be reached at 410-820-7141. To donate to Talbot Community Connections, visit talbotcommunityconnections.org.
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