Malia Riggs
Elmore Autauga News
There was not a dry eye in sight at the Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual Giving Luncheon, where Butterfly Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center, or CAC, was the focus of celebration this year. Over $2,500 monetary donations were given to the Butterfly Bridge CAC just by the attendees of the luncheon, furthering tearful thanks by Butterfly Bridge’s Assistant Director and Child Forensic Interview Specialist Emily Hutcheson.
This Butterfly Bridge location services three counties in the River Region including Autauga, Elmore and Chilton counties representing the 19th Judicial Circuit. However, the first ever advocacy center covering this topic started in the late 1970’s right here in Alabama, Hutcheson confirmed.
Now there are over 1,000 locations across the U.S., locations worldwide and 35 advocacy centers in the state of Alabama with 42 locations. What Butterfly Bridge CAC does is offer a safe child friendly environment to children that have been victimized by abuse or neglect. Last year between the three offices serving Elmore, Autauga and Chilton Counties Hutcheson said the three offices did 344 forensic interviews this past year. They also conducted over 2,700 therapy sessions and almost 2000 advocacy services to caregivers, children and families.
“One in three girls and one in five boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. Another statistic is that 90% of children know their abusers. And that is because most of the time it’s going to be someone they know, they trust, someone parents know they trust,” Hutcheson said.
According to their website, the mission of Butterfly Bridge CAC is to offer a safe, child-friendly environment to children victimized by abuse or neglect. Through their mission, Butterfly Bridge also tries to provide restoration and justice in the lives of local children that have been through the unimaginable.
Butterfly Bridge offers forensic interviews to children if they are sought for their services. Typically, these interviews involve children that are suffering from allegations of abuse or neglect. While the interview is happening with law enforcement, the Department of Human Resources and other pertinent entities are able to observe the interview.
This alleviates the child having to relive and talk through allegations with multiple unknown people and having to tell their story countless times. Only talking to one individual, and doing it only once minimizes further trauma for that child going forward while that child is trying to heal, according to Hutcheson.
“The worst case I’ve ever had to deal with, the girls came in and they told their story. The details that they gave were so precise that law enforcement was able to get this guy in a matter of hours. These girls are now in college. One of them just got engaged over Thanksgiving and they actually reached out to us and asked if they could help Butterfly Bridge in some way. When I tell you these girls are truly the heroes… but these are the types of kids we see all the time,” Hutcheson said.
Donations to further help children’s advocacy can still be given to Butterfly Bridge for the holiday season and after. Hutcheson can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 334-356-3632 at the Prattville office, 334-478-4094 at the Wetumpka office or at 205-755-4205 at the Chilton County office.
In attendance was Millbrook Mayor Al Kelley, Millbrook City Councilman Michael Gay and Jimmy Harris, Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board Steve Mullis, Elmore County Commissioner Bart Mercer, Alabama Senator Clyde Chambliss, several Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors and Junior Ambassadors and citizens.
