"It is hard to believe that last Friday was the Child Advocacy Center's 20th Birthday," said Child Advocacy Center director Sharon De Boer. "It feels like yesterday when we first opened the doors. Time really does fly."

The Child Advocacy Center celebrated their 20th Birthday with a Drive Thru Birthday Party. The Happy Birthday yard sign was provided by Elizabeth and Phillip Mangrum from Card My Yard. CAC supporters drove by with decorated cars and honking their horns to celebrate the occasion. Child Advocacy Center board and staff handed out cupcakes to all the supporters. Rutherford County Fire Rescue responded with lights and sirens.   

A huge thank you to Taminko Amuzu, Chief Kevin Arnold, Tammy Greer, District Attorney General Jennings Jones, Christina Moody, Mayor Mary Ester Reed, Captain Britt Reed, Marcus Stamps, Children's Advocacy Centers of Tennessee, Department of Children's Services, La Vergne Police Department, Murfreesboro Police Department, Rutherford County Sheriff's Office, Smyrna Police Department, and all the community partners who made our day more special with their birthday wishes. Their videos can be viewed on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CACRutherford.  

The Child Advocacy Center is a non-profit agency that works as a multidisciplinary team with the Department of Children's Services, law enforcement, and the District Attorney's Office to respond to child abuse, child sexual abuse, and drug endangered children cases.  

In the last 20 years, the Child Protective Investigative Team has responded to over 16,000 child abuse cases, assisted over 24,000 Rutherford and Cannon County children and families, and trained over 12,000 adults how to protect children from child sexual abuse. 

"It has been a wonderful birthday reflecting on the last 20 years," concluded De Boer. "Our community partners at DCS, law enforcement, and the DA's Office have been a pleasure to work with the last 20 years. Some of the best people in our community work their hearts out every day to help child abuse victims and their families." 

For more information about the Child Advocacy Center visit the website at www.cacrutherford.org or call the Center at (615) 867-9000.