Children's Network of Stark County

It shouldn’t hurt to be a child.

That sums up what the Children’s Network Child Advocacy Center of Stark County is all about — protecting children.

The agency serves about 500 children per year and deals with children who have been sexually or physically abused or are witnesses to violence.

Started by Judge W. Don Reader and Stark County Prosecuting Attorney Robert D. Horowitz, the doors to Stark County’s and the state of Ohio’s first Child Advocacy Center opened locally in 1987. At the time, it was one of only 13 centers in the United States.

“The Children’s Network is a unique way of dealing with child abuse,” said Cheli Curran, program director. “The collaboration of all the professionals in the community make it their responsibility to navigate the various systems on behalf of the child. It is important for the children in our community who are suffering trauma to have a safe place to receive services under one roof.”

The Children’s Network of Stark County houses space for professionals from each discipline in one space to limit the number of times a child has to be interviewed about a traumatizing event such as sexual abuse. There now are more than 800 child advocacy centers in the United States, and while they are all different, all accredited centers follow the same essential guidelines.

According to the National Children’s Alliance, the Children’s Network must provide a comfortable, private, child-friendly setting that is physically and psychologically safe for clients, and a multidisciplinary team for response to child abuse allegations, which includes representation from law enforcement, child protective services, prosecution, mental health, medical, victim advocacy and children’s advocacy center.

Forensic interviews are conducted in a neutral, fact-finding way and are coordinated to avoid duplicative interviewing. Specialized medical evaluation and treatment are made available as part of the team response, either at the center or through other medical providers. Specialized mental health services also are made available as part of the team response, among other amenities.

“The Children’s Network is a resource that a lot of people don't know about,” said Sgt. Douglas Zartman of the Canton Police Department. “The community may not be aware of who we are or what we do. It is important for us to let them know that we are here to help.”

Children’s Network of Stark County

What: Child advocacy agency

Board Members: Julie Barnes, executive director of JFS; John Ferrero, Stark County prosecutor; Mike Johnson, executive director of Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health; Dr. Robin Tener, president of Northeast Ohio Behavioral Health; and Dr. Daryl Steiner, medical director of CARE Center, Akron Children’s Hospital.

Proceeds: Benefit programs.

Donations: The Children’s Network, 213 Market Ave. N, Suite 200, Canton, OH 44702.