Gulf Coast Kid’s House (GCKH) is celebrating 20 years of service to Escambia County. As a child advocacy center, GCKH combines all the professionals and resources needed to investigate, treat and prosecute egregious child abuse cases.
Prior to GCKH, children were unintentionally being retraumatized by the system intended to protect them. When a child disclosed abuse, they were forced to go to adult, sterile environments, like the police station or hospital, then they were shuttled around to see a social worker in another location, then if the case rose to a criminal level, they headed to the courthouse. Children and their families were not accessing life-saving mental health treatment and children were falling through the cracks.
Children were forced to repeat, and therefore, relive their abuse incident repeatedly. The children suffered, and so did the case. It is nearly impossible to say the same thing the same way to seven or eight different people, especially if it is a traumatic event. When GCKH opened, successful prosecution of child abuse cases in our area hovered below 20 percent. Our community knew we needed to be better for our children.
Now retired judge Marcie Goodman had heard the idea of a children’s advocacy center – a place where multidisciplinary professionals worked together on behalf of the child victim and brought this concept to Escambia County. GCKH opened the doors to the Marilyn Kapner Levin Center for Children’s Advocacy and Child Abuse Prevention in 2004.
At GCKH, professionals from law enforcement, the Department of Children and Families, forensic interviewers and medical providers from the Child Protection Team, Attorneys with the State Attorney’s Office, family advocates, and mental health counselors work together so that children can receive healing and justice. GCKH also provides child abuse prevention education to the community through its KnowChildAbuse.org training.
When a case of abuse is reported, if it meets criteria, the child and their non-offending caregiver will be referred to Gulf Coast Kid’s House for a recorded interview (so the case is frozen in time and the child doesn’t have to repeat their story) and a medical exam (so that injuries can be documented, but more importantly, so the child knows their body is ok). The non-offending caregiver meets with a family advocate, and they are provided with resources and referrals
so that they are supported throughout the investigation. Children, their siblings, and their non-offending caregivers are provided with free mental health counseling. No family will ever see a bill from GCKH. Because of this holistic approach, we have seen successful prosecution rise to over 90 percent!
GCKH expanded in 2015 to continue to meet the needs of our community by adding the Allen R. Levin Family Advocacy and Education Wing. In its 20th year, GCKH is focusing on enhanced mental health opportunities for child victims of abuse and adult survivors of abuse. GCKH now offers a 12-week counseling group for adults who were impacted by child sexual abuse. This free group is open to anyone in the community and is critical in breaking the cycle of abuse.
In its 20th year, GCKH wants to break the silence of abuse. They invite the community to come tour their facility so that they can learn firsthand how to become a part of the solution. A child advocacy center starts because a community wants to be better. A child advocacy center stays because the community supports its children and its future.
