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KIDS Place
A Place Where Hope BeginsHope and healing for abused children and their families through coordinated services in a child-friendly place. -
KIDS Place
A Place Where Hope BeginsSince 1991 we have served thousands of children, averaging 120 new referrals each year. -
KIDS Place
A Place Where Hope BeginsWe provide a prompt, sensitive, multiple agency response to child abuse so that every child and family can focus on healing.
NEED HELP NOW? CALL 911
Hope & Healing for Abused Children Since 1991
KIDS Place is Macon County’s only not-for-profit organization that coordinates the efforts of child protection services, forensic interviewing, law enforcement, prosecutors, child advocates, medical and mental health experts, all under one roof.
We provide a prompt, sensitive, multiple agency response to child abuse so that every child / youth / teen and family can focus on healing. Since 1991 we have served thousands of children, averaging 120 new referrals each year.
Contact KIDS Place by calling 828-524-3199 or emall us at kidsplace1@kidsplacecac.org.
CALL IF YOU NEED HELP
NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO HURT YOU. If a child is in immediate danger or if is an emergency, CALL 911.
How to Report Abuse
Each child / youth / teen is unique and so is the process that is taken to protect them. Use the following as a guideline if you suspect or know about child abuse.
North Carolina law requires that you report child abuse if you suspect it. As outlined in statute § N.C.G.S 7B-301 and § N.C.G.S. 14-318.6 every adult in North Carolina is a mandated reporter of suspected child abuse. Please take the time to follow through and make a report.
If you suspect a child / youth / teen is being abused, you must make a report with your local sheriff’s office and the Department of Social Services (DSS).
In addition, North Carolina has a law that can penalize professionals who do not report. North Carolina also provides immunity from civil liability and criminal penalty for mandated reporters who report in good faith.
Call 911 immediately if the child is in danger.
Step 1 – Where to Make a Report of Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect
Contact the Macon County Department of Social Services at 828-349-2124. Ask for the Child Protective Services intake worker. If after hours, call 911 and ask for the social worker on call.
Macon County Sheriff's Office: Call 911
Graham County Child Abuse Report: 828-479-7911 / Emergency Phone: 828-479-3352
Graham County Sheriff's Office: Call 911
National Child Abuse Hotline: 800-422-4453
Step 2 – How to Make a Report of Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect
The report can be made in person, by the telephone, or in writing. While reports may be made anonymously, you are encouraged to provide your name and pertinent contact information. This will help the investigation of the alleged abuse. Your identifying information is confidential; DSS will not reveal it unless ordered to do so by the court.
Step 3 – What Your Report Should Include
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- The name and address of the parents or caregivers
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- The name and age of the child
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- The present whereabouts of the child if not at the home address
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- The nature and extent of the injury or condition resulting from the abuse or neglect
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- Any other information that you believe might be helpful in establishing the need for intervention
KIDS Place Services
A dependable, compassionate presence you can trust.
Child Advocacy
The child advocate offers support, guidance and advocacy for child victims and their caregivers in the form of therapy referrals, court advocacy/preparation, connecting families to resources and may other advocacy services. The child advocate has regular, ongoing follow-up with caregivers to provide updates, answer questions, and see how things are going. The child advocate follows a case from the beginning, throughout the investigation, adjudication, and beyond when needed.
Forensic Interviews
Forensic Interviews are conducted by KIDS Place staff that have completed specialized training. Interviews are scheduled at the request of law enforcement and/or child protective services. Interviews are done at KIDS Place, which is designed to be neutral and family friendly and conducted at the child/youth/teen’s developmental level. Our forensic interviewers are required to participate in ongoing training and peer review.
Medical Service
KIDS Place partners with the Child Medical Collaborative, Inc (CMC) to offer specialized and comprehensive child medical evaluations to assess the overall well-being of the child. These providers have specialized training in child abuse and are listed on the roster of specialty providers with the Child Medical Evaluation Program at UNC Chapel Hill.
Mental Health Therapy
After a child has disclosed an incident of abuse or neglect and a report has been made to Child Protective Services and/or Law Enforcement, the child may receive specialized, evidence-based therapy services from a trained licensed therapist at no cost to the family. The specific therapy model most often used is Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT).
Multidisciplinary Team Case Review
Case review meetings are held at least monthly to ensure collaboration and communication between agencies for the child’s best interest. The Multidisciplinary Team is made up of professionals from: Child Protective Services, Law Enforcement, the District Attorney’s Office, Medical providers, Mental Health providers, Juvenile Justice, and KIDS Place.
Presentations &Training
The staff of KIDS Place is available to provide training and informative presentations to our community that address issues related to the abuse of children.
Here For You Always
KIDS Place exists to make the investigative and judicial process easier for the children and to insure that all child abuse victims in Macon County have access to quality counseling services, at no cost, for as long as the child needs the service.
- Child Advocacy and Support
- Forensic Interviews
- Child Medical Evaluations
- Therapy
- Multidisciplinary Core Team Case Reviews
- Training for Community Partners
Watch the video on this page to learn how the KIDS Place Children's Advocacy Center works.
Help Us Grow
Everything we do at KIDS Place is driven by our mission of: Providing hope, healing, and advocacy through coordinated services for children impacted by abuse and neglect.
Before there was KIDS Place, child abuse victims in Macon County were often bounced from one agency to another during the investigative process. Although there were caring professionals working in those agencies, families were forced to go from agency to agency in order to meet the informational needs of those agencies. The places that professionals were meeting to talk with children were not always the best places for children to feel secure enough to tell their story. They were certainly not child-friendly settings. Imagine being a small child and being ushered to sheriff’s department to talk about something that has been so confusing and scary or being taken to the emergency room to sit for hours in a place that is anything but child friendly.
KIDS Place is a place and a process. KIDS Place exists to make the investigative and judicial process easier for children and the professionals who work with those children. KIDS Place works to make sure that all child victims of abuse in Macon and Graham counties have access to evidence-based therapy at no cost to the family.