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<p align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="5">Tazewell
County Children's Advocacy Center</font></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4">Serving
the needs of Abused Children</font></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">341
Buena Vista, Pekin IL 61554</font></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">Phone:
(309)347-6001 Fax: (309)347-6189</font></p>
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<p align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><a name="Program"></a><a href="#Breaking">Program</a></font></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><a name="Organization"></a><a href="#What">Organization</a></font></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><a name="Community"></a><a href="#How">Community
</a></font></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><a name="Support"></a><a href="#Help">Support</a>
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<p align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><a name="Contact"></a><a href="#To">Contact
</a> </font></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><a name="Links"></a><a href="#National">Links</a></font></p>
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<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4">If you suspect
abuse, call toll free: 180025ABUSE</font></p>
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<p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4" color="#080808"><a name="Breaking"></a>Breaking
the Cycle of Abuse...One Child at a Time</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Children's
Advocacy Center is a community-based, child-focused program
in which professionals from different disciplines meet </font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">to
discuss and make decisions about the intervention, treatment
and prosecution of child sexual abuse and serious physical
abuse cases.</font></p>
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<td width="94%" height="2"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Our
center began accepting cases in December 1999. While we are
still in the developmental phase of building this program, we
have successfully combined the various agencies and are already
benefiting child victims and their families. By partnering with
other allied agencies, we hope to build a coordinated and united
response to child sexual abuse and serious physical abuse in
our community. </font></td>
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<td width="94%" height="2"><i><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Our
mission is to provide a coordinated approach to the investigation,
treatment and prosecution of child sexual abuse and serious
physical abuse cases which is sensitive to the child victim's
needs and holds offenders accountable.</font></i> </td>
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<p><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4">Abuse:
A Community Problem</font></b></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Tazewell County
averaged 150 reported cases of child sexual abuse and severe
physical abuse cases in 1999. Considering that child sexual
abuse is one of the most underreported crimes, an even greater
n</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">umber of
children are victims of this horrific injustice. As part of
a community that actively promotes the well-being of every
child, your involvement will directly reduce the number of
crimes commited against our children.</font></p>
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<div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><a href="#Program">Top</a></font></div>
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<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4"><b><a name="What"></a>What
are Child Advocacy Centers?</b></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The development
of Child Advocacy Centers in Illinois began in DuPage
County in 1987 under the leadership of then State's
Attorney Jim Ryan. In 1989, specific requirements for
the establishment and operation of Child Advocacy Centers
in Illinois were formalized by the passage of the Child
Advocacy Center Act.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Child Advocacy
Centers are child-focused, facility based programs in
which representatives from responsible agencies meet
to discuss and make decisions about the investigation,
treatment and prosecution of child sexual abuse and
severe physical abuse cases. This multidisciplinary
approach brings together under one umbrella all the
professionals and agencies needed to offer comprehensive
services: law enforcement, child protective services,
prosecution, mental health and the medical community.</font></p>
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<p><b><font size="4" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Core
Components of </font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4">A
Child Advocacy Center</font></b></p>
<ul>
<li><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Separate,
child-friendly facilities for interviewing and providing
services to child victims and their non-offending
family members</font></li>
<li><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> Five
core disciplines: law enforcement, child protective
services, prosecution, mental health and medical services
</font></li>
<li><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Coordinated
multidisciplinary investigation team </font></li>
<li><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Regular
interdisciplinary case review </font></li>
<li><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Intensive
case follow-up </font></li>
<li><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Specially-trained
professionals</font></li>
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<div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><a href="#Organization">Top</a></font></div>
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<p><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4"><a name="How"></a>How
Our Center Benefits the Community</font></b></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>More
immediate follow up to child abuse reports.</b> By
coordinating service for the child from the moment
a case opens, the Center ensures immediate follow-up
on reports of abuse as well as ongoing collaboration
between the agencies.</font></p>
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<td width="94%" height="2"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>More
efficient medical and mental health referrals. </b>Open
communication and case coordination facilitates the
timeliness with which the child and family receive needed
service. Children receive prompt and ongoing services
that are tailored to their specific needs and family
situations. Interagency agreements between the Center
and other social service agencies assure that children
receive prompt medical care and mental health therapy.</font></td>
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<td width="94%" height="2"><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Reduction
in the number of child victim interviews. </font></b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The
multidisciplinary team coordinates the interview of
the child and non-offending family members at the Center.
By coordinating the interview, the child is not subjected
to multiple interviews by multiple agencies involved
in handling the case. When appropriate, the child's
interview will be videotaped for prosecution purposes.</font>
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<p> <b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> Increased
successful prosecution. </font></b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">More
offenders are held accountable through improved prosecusion
of child abuse cases. By coordinating the process
of how information is collected and disseminated,
child advocacy centers improve the quality of information
provided to prosecutors and juvenile court attorneys.
Experienced professionals who have been specially-trained
to interview children thoroughly investigate </font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">allegations
of abuse. Their child-focused approach produces a
greater quantity of reliable information used in criminal,
civil and juvenile court proceedings. </font></p>
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<td width="94%" height="2"><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Consistent
support for child victims and supportive adults.</font></b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">
More non-offending parents are empowered to protect
and support their children throughout the intervention
process and beyond. The Center will assure that families
receive specialized services when necessary. Through
the Center, each child and his or her family is assisted
throughout the process in both juvenile and criminal
court.</font></td>
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<font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><a href="#Community">Top</a></font></div>
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<p><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4"><a name="Help"></a>What
You Can Do to Help</font></b></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The growth
and continuation of the Children's Advocacy Center depends
upon the public's understanding of its mission. Since
child abuse is a <i>community</i> problem, community
support is crucial to the prevention of abuse. By working
together, we can stamp out child abuse cases in <i>our</i>
community.</font></p>
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<p><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4">Get
Involved and Stay Informed!</font></b></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">We live in
a time in which violence permeates our culture. If we
are to make a substantial impact on violence and its
cost to our communities, we have to change our methods
and, in effect, our culture. Our society says it is
OK to call animal protection when our neighbor mistreats
his or her dog; however, we are told it is none of our
business when that neighbor mistreats his or her children.
It is you--the neighbor, friend and extended family
member--who may see, hear and even witness child maltreatment.</font></p>
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<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4"><b>These
are the individuals who must be the voice of the child.
</b></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Our current
child abuse intervention strategies rely primarily on
mandated reporters within our schools, health care settings,
social service and law enforcement agencies. Unfortunately,
these agencies are not present when the abuse occurs.
The prevention of child abuse ultimately occurs at the
family and community level. It is our neighbors, churches
schools, friends and extended family members that need
to be engaged in prevention efforts if we are able to
be successful.</font></p>
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<p><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4">Volunteers</font></b></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Volunteers
are always welcomed and appreciated. We are also interested
in recruiting student interns. </font></p>
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<p><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4">Donations</font></b></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Donations
are appreciated by all of us at the Tazewell County
Children's Advocacy Center as we strive to provide services
to every child and family in Tazewell County who needs
them. Our Center is fortunate to receive some state
and federal grants; however, these funding sources are
not enough to cover all of the Center's expenses. Your
support, along with the support of other loyal donors,
allows us to provide an array of services for children
and families in Tazewell County with one goal in mind:
to break the cycle of child abuse...one child at a time.
Our Center is a tax-exempt agency. All donations are
tax-deductible.</font></p>
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<div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><a href="#Support">Top</a></font></div>
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<p><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4"><a name="To"></a>To
Report Suspected Abuse</font></b></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">If you suspect
abuse, call your local police department or the Department
of Children and Family Services at 1-800-25-ABUSE (1-800-252-2873).</font></p>
<p><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4">The
Tazewell County Child Advocacy Center</font></b></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">If you have
questions or would like more information, please send
us an e-mail at <a href="mailto:address@juno.com">address@juno.com</a></font></p>
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<p><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4">For
more information</font></b></p>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> For more
information, call Mary Zumwalt, Executive Director,
at (309) 347-6001.</font></p>
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<div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><a href="#Contact">Top</a></font></div>
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<td width="94%" height="2"><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4"><a name="National"></a>Links</font></b></td>
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<div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.nncac.org" target="_blank">National
Children's Alliance</a></font></div>
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<div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.nncac.org/mrcac/index.html" target="_blank">Midwest
Regional Child Advocacy Center</a></font></div>
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<div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.tazewell.com/states%20attorney/statesatty.html" target="_blank">Tazewell
County States Attorney</a></font></div>
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<div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.state.il.us/dcfs" target="_blank">Child
Protective Services</a></font></div>
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<div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.illinoiscasa.org" target="_blank">Illinois
CASA National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect</a>
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<div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.nationalcasa.org" target="_blank">National
Court Appointed Special Advocacy Association </a></font></div>
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<div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.vachss.com" target="_blank">Law
Offices of Andrew Henry Vachass</a></font></div>
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<div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><a href="#Links">Top</a></font></div>
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<div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-4">©2000
The Children's Advocacy Center</font> </div>
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