A Quarter Century of Protecting Children

by Laura Breen Galante

A local nonprofit is celebrating 25 years of helping kids and families in Seminole County by honoring those who champion children.

Kids House of Seminole, also known as Kids House Wayne Densch Children’s Advocacy Center, was established in 1999 with the vision of breaking the cycle of violence and ending child abuse. 

“Our mission is to prevent child abuse and help child victims and their families by providing coordinated services in a safe, child-friendly environment,” says CEO Juliette Kong. 

In line with this vision, the nonprofit Kids House, which is in Sanford, is designed as a unique, child-friendly facility for child abuse investigations in Seminole County.

The focus is always on the child at the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC). This is obvious from the moment one enters the 

building, which is adorned with colorful and cheerful décor and staffed with kindhearted, caring individuals. 

“When law enforcement or child protective services believe a child may be experiencing abuse,” says Juliette, “the child is brought to the CAC by a caregiver or other safe adult.” 

Local abuse statistics are sobering: Seminole County Sheriff’s Office Child Protective Services receives approximately 4,000 reports of suspected child abuse each year.

Rallying the Team

Upon arrival at the Children’s Advocacy Center, the child tells their story once to a trained interviewer – this is an important detail because it saves the child from retelling their experience and being retraumatized. Following the interview, a multidisciplinary team (MDT) rallies around the child in an effort to support and assist them. Medical professionals, law enforcement, mental health workers, prosecutors, child protective services, and victim advocacy experts consult and make decisions together about how best to help the child. 

“The MDT response is a core part of our work at Kids House,” says Juliette.

Each case, like each child, is unique, and all are treated with great care.

Kids House provides the tools to mount a coordinated response to allegations of child abuse and neglect – offering therapy and medical exams, plus courtroom preparation, victim advocacy, case management, and mental health services. Caregivers are referred to parenting classes to help heal their families. And, Kids House also employs a friendly facility support dog named Jordon, a yellow Labrador retriever who is there for pets and kisses and to provide comfort to the children.

“The entire staff is passionate and dedicated to providing help, hope, and healing to victims of child abuse,”                  says Juliette.

It Takes a Village

Over the past 25 years, Kids House has helped tens of thousands of children and families in Seminole County. On average, the organization provides care to 2,000 victims of abuse and neglect per year. Kids House partners with all local law enforcement agencies, the Florida Department of Children and Families, Seminole County Public Schools, AdventHealth, Wharton-Smith, the State Attorney’s Office, and Family Partnerships of Central Florida, among others, to rally around these children.

“Over the past 25 years, we have been able to expand our service through these partnerships,” says Juliette. “I am very proud of the work the Kids House team does for the children and families of Seminole County.”

On November 1, Kids House invited the community to help celebrate its 25th anniversary with an open house.

“We commemorated the anniversary by honoring the champions of children who have made Kids House a place that brings help, hope, and healing to kids and their families,” says Juliette.