Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas Receives Community Leadership Award

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Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas

Sep 22, 2015, 03:00 ET

Austin, TX (PRWEB) September 22, 2015 -- In an evening ceremony last night, the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas, Inc. (CACTX) was recognized for its efforts on behalf of child victims of physical and sexual abuse across Texas. Recognized by First Lady Cecilia Abbott, Honorary Chair of the 32nd Annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards, and the OneStar Foundation, CACTX joins a select group of individuals, groups and organizations honored for a significant and measurable contribution to their communities.

“The power of the public-private partnerships our membership has established at 69 different Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) across the state cannot be overstated. Through these intricate collaborations, our network is able to provide much needed assistance to nearly 40,000 Texas children every year who have been subjected to heartbreaking abuse,” said Joy Hughes Rauls, Executive Director of CACTX. “We are grateful to our partners across the state, law enforcement, CPS, prosecution, medical and mental health providers and volunteers, who have joined this collective vision of justice and healing for the smallest of victims.”

Children’s Advocacy Centers are a nationally renowned solution to the challenges facing the child victims of sexual and physical abuse. At their core, the centers provide a place for representatives of law enforcement, legal, medical and Child Protective Service organizations to coordinate the pursuit of justice for perpetrators and therapeutic healing for victims and their families. Forging partnerships with community volunteers, child welfare advocates and Government Agencies, local centers also provide the much needed support these families need while seeking justice.

“Texas is so fortunate to have a First Lady like Cecilia Abbott and an organization like the OneStar Foundation who understand the value of partnerships within communities,” concluded Rauls. “We dream that, someday, child abuse will be eradicated, but until then, we’ll keep working together in the service of a tragic, but vital cause. I’m proud to accept this award on their behalf.”

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ABOUT CACTX
Children’s Advocacy Centers™ of Texas, Inc. (CACTX) is the statewide membership association representing all local children’s advocacy centers in the Lone Star State. Founded in 1994 with a membership of 13 local centers, the CACTX membership roster today includes 69 established and developing centers in large urban cities as well as in small rural communities. CACTX creates a statewide platform for public-private partnerships within communities, fueling the success of the CAC approach by uniting advocates and giving local centers a statewide voice. From their headquarters in Austin, the CACTX team coordinates services among the following groups: local centers, Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDTs), statewide government agencies, stakeholders, community volunteers, and child welfare advocates. Working together, they positively affect policy and funding for the CAC movement and partner service organizations. CACTX membership reflects the vast diversity of Texas, all with their own unique approaches to fulfilling our shared mission of protecting and providing for children. For more information about CACTX, please visit: http://www.cactx.org/

Sally Allen, Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas, http://www.cactx.org, +1 512-906-2922, [email protected]