A blue-eyed little girl not quite 5 years old does not speak; she does not look up or make eye contact. She has been severely sexually abused by her mother’s boyfriend. To experience such horrific trauma at such a young age is unimaginable at any age. It was not surprising that her light had been dimmed. After a few therapy sessions, her demeanor changed, and her light began to shine again for all to see. Her smile brightened the room, and the hearts of those helping her.
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orangeappeal.com
4,000 reports of suspected child abuse
staff does each day, bring
each year, a shocking statistic that is
hope and healing to chil-
haunting and daunting under normal cir-
dren who have been abused
cumstances.
and/or neglected. Kids House
The mission of Kids House is to prevent
of Seminole, the Wayne Densch Children’s
child abuse and to aid child abuse victims
Advocacy Center, located in Sanford, is the
and families by providing coordinated ser-
one place in Seminole County dedicated to
vices in a safe, child-friendly environment
dealing with the thousands of allegations of
from reporting and investigation through
abuse and neglect reported each year.
treatment and resolution. In collaboration
As Seminole County’s only child advo-
with all law enforcement agencies, the state
cacy center since 1999, Kids House is the
attorney’s office, medical personnel, child
single point of contact for child abuse inves-
protection professionals, social workers,
tigations. We provide this targeted popula-
and licensed mental health counselors, we
tion with essential life services to help vic-
are working together to break the cycle of
tims and their families heal.
violence often seen with child abuse.
For some perspective, child abuse is the
Within the past year in Seminole
leading cause of death in children under
County, there have been a total of 4,634
the age of 4, and Seminole County Child
child abuse hotline calls. In more than two
Protective Services receives approximately
decades, more than 25,000 children have
JULIETTE KONG Chief Executive Officer, Kids House of Seminole 106
hat is precisely what our
