A new branch of A Kid’s Place, an advocacy agency that helps rescue children from abusive situations, opened last week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony off Hatcher Lane in Columbia.
Executive director Charlsi Legendre and assistant director Kate Archer spoke about the agency’s mission. When law enforcement or a tip-off informs A Kid’s Place of a potential abuse situation, they schedule a “forensic interview” where the child victim can describe what’s happened to them, to build a legal case against the abuser. A Kid’s Place then assigns the child a therapist and an “advocate,” who works with their supportive parents or guardians to help the child recover from the abuse and grow up psychologically healthy.
“When they walk through our doors, their lives have been completely turned upside down. They don’t know where to go, they don’t know what to do,” explained Legendre. “We’re going to do needs assessments, crisis assessments… just make sure that that family feels loved, supported and heard.”
A Kid’s Place also raises awareness by hosting programs in schools and in the larger community, to let victims and bystanders know that someone is on their side and how they can get help. This awareness-raising has already helped many children in the real world.
Assistant director Archer told the story of a grandmother who came to believe that her daughter was trafficking her elementary-age granddaughter, in order to get money for drugs. Though the grandmother asked the state for emergency custody, the daughter began exerting opposite pressure to get the granddaughter back. The grandmother was at a loss to protect the young girl until she saw a poster for A Kid’s Place at a restaurant. A single call to the agency got the daughter placed with CPS, where she finally got legal protection and the forensic examination that could establish facts for a case.
Archer ended the story with a pitch to “sell” signs (for a small donation) for people and businesses to hang in public.
“When we’re asking you to buy a sign… that sign makes a difference,” she said. “It’s not just a sign; it saves a life. You never know who’s walking through your doors.”
Municipal leaders including County Mayor Sheila Butt, Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder, Columbia City Manager Tony Massey and Sheriff Bucky Rowland attended the ribbon cutting.
“This place is a place of hope and healing, [which] brings happiness to these children,” gushed Mayor Butt, who was familiar with A Kid’s Place from its work in Lawrenceburg. “There are so [many] services here… Thank you for the work that you do.”
A Kid’s Place will work in partnership with local law enforcement, who will make sure to catch abusers and keep them away from the children they might harm. LEOs from the 22nd Judicial District (the three counties south of Maury) attended the opening too.
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