Graves County Child Advocacy Program Inc

For over 25 years Graves County Child Advocacy Program (GCCAP) has worked to protect children and educate the community on issues of child abuse, neglect, and exploitation.  All children deserve to be safe, and treated with respect and dignity. All children have a right to a loving home where they can learn and grow. This isn’t just important; it is a fundamental obligation of our society to protect the rights and needs of our children during the most vulnerable time in their lives.

Graves County Kentucky is rural with just over 37,000 residents yet per 100,000 population it ranks 8th in the state for its number of drug arrests.  (Kentucky Health Facts 2015 Data)  In fact, the drug problem is so bad in western Kentucky that the DEA will open an office in Paducah to serve the region.  It is well known that parental drug use is a risk factor for abuse and neglect of children.  Each year over 200 Graves County children whose situation is reported are found to be victims abuse/neglect and in a vast majority of those cases parental drug use is a factor.

The organization, through its program Graves County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), provides advocates for some of these children.  Graves County CASA recruits, screens, trains and supports volunteers that are available for court appointment on child abuse/neglect cases in Graves County juvenile court.  CASA volunteers speak up for the best interests of children, they help the child understand what is happening, and provide them with much needed support during an otherwise scary time.  They make sure that the presiding judge knows the wishes of the child and make recommendations to the court to meet the child's needs.  CASA volunteers are not social workers.  They are simply individuals that want to make a difference in the life of a child.

In 2017, Graves County CASA advocated for 109 children.  Some of these children were new and some were children whose case carried over from the previous year(s).  Despite a 62% increase from 2016, in the number of volunteers available to serve on child abuse/neglect cases, there is still many children waiting for an advocate.  In 2018, we continue our recruitment and training efforts to grow the number of volunteers available to serve these children.  Our hope is that one day we have a wait list of volunteers rather than a wait list of children.  

Prevention education is another emphasis of the organization.  In partnership with Mayfield and Graves County schools, children and youth engage in the Building Healthy Relationships program that helps students develop a clear understanding of healthy relationships and gain the skills needed to develop such relationships.  Through the program students explore personal identity, learn about mutual respect, and discuss how to effectively express how they are feeling, and develop communication skills needed to keep them safe.  They also learn how to find successful solutions to problematic situations and ultimately, how to create healthy relationships.  In addition, the agency provides body safety education for pre-school and kindergarten children and dating violence education for high school students.  Each year these programs reach hundreds of children.  

Graves County Child Advocacy Program, Inc. operates solely on grants, donations, and contributions, both individual and corporate and engages in a variety of fund raising events each year to support its programs.