EMERALD COAST CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTER IS THERE FOR THE KIDS With National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, it brings to light the fact that many do not realize the peril our children can experience and have to deal with right here in Northwest Florida. Enter the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center (ECCAC). They provide services for young child abuse victims and their families in a child-friendly environment. All support services and personnel are under one roof. There are two centers, one in Niceville in Okaloosa County, and the Pierce Family Children’s Advocacy Center in DeFuniak Springs in Walton County. Neither location provides housing for children.
Niceville
How ECCAC Works: Providing services and emotional support to child victims experiencing abuse, abandonment or neglect and their families is the 24/7 job of the multi-disciplinary team of staff and volunteers at the ECCAC centers. There are extensive play therapy set-ups and lovable therapy dogs on hand to work with the kids, too. ECCAC is a part of the National Children’s Advocacy Center non-profit organization. The single most important hallmark of the ECCAC process is the fact that the impacted child, dealing with the immediate trauma and stress of their situation, can tell their story in one room, just one time. They do not have to repeat it numerous times at different places to different people. In other words, all pertinent parties that can help the child victim are there at the same time. Once the child tells their story, action is immediately taken as required for that particular case. In ECCAC’s 17-year history, right at 11,000 children have received more than 43,000 services at no cost to include mental health therapy, crisis intervention, referrals to other community providers, interviews and medicals.
Pierce Family Advocacy Center
For more information about donating, volunteering, or the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit www.eccac.org or call (850) 833-9237, Ext. 283.
The Autism Spectrum on the Emerald Coast, Inc. would like to invite your family to join us at our 2nd Annual SPRING FAM JAM. This family & music festival will be held on Saturday, April 21, at the NWFSC in Niceville. The gates opens at 9 a.m. with the music and fun continuing until 4 p.m. Spring Fam Jam, with more than 40 booth participants, includes live entertainment, arts and crafts merchants, food and beverage vendors, various demonstrations, local therapy providers, and a large Children’s Area. The Children’s Area includes: bounce houses, inflatable slides, an inflatable obstacle course, face painting by Enchanted Parties, Home Depot building kits, Army Ranger’s Reptile Team, 501st. Legion, live entertainment, and many more children’s activities. Children’s Area armbands are $10. Armbands grant access to all the previous listed activities in the children’s area. Be sure to register for the 5K Color Run! This year we are running a Road & Trail Course with 8 color stations. Participants will be covered in colored powder as they make their way around the course. Walkers, wagons, and strollers are all welcome to participate on the Road sections of the course. The Road sections of the course has 4 Color Stations and is approximately 2 miles in length. You do not have to be a conditioned athlete to enjoy this run! The run starts at 11:00. Early Bird Pricing, which is just $25 for participants 13 years of age and older, ends April 6. Day of pricing is $35. For participants ages 6 to 12 years old, the registration fee is $20. Children 5 years old and under are free. Spring Fam Jam is ASEC’s premier fundraising and community awareness event. This event allows us to continue to provide services to our local autism community that we serve. For Color Run registration visit our website: SpringFamJam.com Event Coordinator: Brad Burnette (850)496-3062 or Brad@ASECFL.com On the Coast Magazine is a proud media sponsor of local charitable events. For sponsorship information, e-mail OTC@OntheCoastMag.com
36 • Tell them you saw it in ON THE COAST Magazine