John Coffelt, Editor

At a county meeting, held April 18 Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) Executive Director Amy Nix during  explained that the center is facing a major fiscal cut due to the loss of two state grants.

“We’ve had a major cut this year,” Nix told the joint meeting  with the Health, Welfare and Recreation and Budget and Finance Committees.

Each year area nonprofits receive in the ballpark of $4,000 each from the county government. One of the county’s first steps in formulating the year’s budget is to hear from each of the nonprofits in an extended Budget and Finance Committee meeting.

Nix explained at the meeting that two major funders, Healing Trust and the Office of Criminal

Justice Programs (OCJP) which operates the states VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) programs.

“What this means is our grant funding has decreased $47,225. These were critical funds that supported (various CAC) programs,” Nix told the committees.

According to information shared by the CAC following the meeting, the center expected and was given an extension of funds through this April based on the internal changes they were making in their grant funding.

The center also anticipated cuts of up to 20% from the OCJP, but they actually ended up eliminating one of the grants the Center receives completely.

The center didn’t know that was ever a possibility.

The CAC said that the timing of the cuts is disheartening at a time when children need mental health services are needed.

Rather than cut programs, the origination had to make “tough choices concerning staffing.”

The CAC has had to cut back on some services and get creative in providing services until other funding can be secured.

Fundraising and grants are the bread and butter of the center, needing about $200,000 in contributions to serve the abused children in the community.

CAC aids in the investigation of allegation of children abuse, trauma-focused therapy, advocacy services, on-site medical facility for sexual assault exams and preventative services.    

Last year the center provided service for 310 children in the area. Over 60% of the cases involved child sexual abuse. About 134 children received therapy and 45 received on-site specialized medical exams.

All provided free to the children.  

The county contributed $4,500 to the center last year. 

The CAC annual fundraiser Let’s Party with a Purpose, will be 6-9:30 p.m., April 28, at Detention at The Elementary in Morrison.

Tickets are available at http://www.coffeecountycac.org.

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.