Guardians for New Futures, Inc.

The Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) of Circuit 19 provides a centralized location for community 

members to collaborate on cases of childhood maltreatment to improve recovery outcomes. Prior to 

the advent of the CAC in February of 2022, children were re-traumatized at every step given the 

number of locations they had to visit and different people to whom they must talk about the abuse 

or neglect. The CAC coordinates a child-focused system of care, delivered in one location, to 

minimize trauma for the children while delivering immediate, targeted services tailored to their 

individual needs. Children who are victims of abuse receive forensic interviews and medical 

evaluations in a non- threatening, child friendly environment followed by crisis intervention, 

emotional support of the child and non-offending family members, and mental health services from 

the initial services through the judicial process and beyond.

Guardians for New Futures, Inc. is proposing to add an innovative feature at the Children’s 

Advocacy Center. The Healing Garden is a 17,000 square foot space dedicated to the helping change 

the trajectory of the lives of children and families in crisis. It is intended to offer a space 

that will reduce stress, temporarily alleviate depression, encourage exercise, promote a sense of 

well-being, and the use of a positive imagination and therapeutic benefits. It will offer corporate 

and individual donor opportunities and community involvement. The garden represents the ability to 

transcend the trauma our children and families have incurred through therapeutic horticulture 

programs. We also aim to serve additional vulnerable populations and children with

special needs by partnering with other nonprofit organizations.