After the next visit, the three year old
came home with physical injury as result of further sexual abuse. The father never returned for visits.
The Network received it's non-profit corporate 501(c)3
status from the IRS on October 24, 1994. In October 1996 an executive
director was hired. The Network provides a safety net for the
families and children who are falling through the cracks. We do
not want to deceive you, there are many holes in the net. We have
so many abused children and such a faulty system, that many of the children we serve do continue to suffer from abuse.
With the guidance of the executive board, currently 10 members,
professional volunteers, and an executive director, The
Network has served 37 counties in Ohio and numerous other states, and two countries via the internet.
What We Believe
Our philosphy: When in doubt,
error on the safety of the child. Children should have a voice in
our courts.
Families should have the right to a child victim advocate at EVERY stage in the case, INCLUDING HAVING THE ADVOCATE PRESENT WITH THE CAREGIVER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A ONE-WAY MIRROR DURING THE CHILD(REN'S) INTERVIEW. If a child is declared competent to testify, they should not be impeached due to age. Children are declared competent based on their ability to understand the truth from lies, NOT their age.
Children should ALWAYS be video taped when interviewed. Everyone in the room should be visible and audible on the film. A CHILD SHOULD NEVER BE INTERVIEWED IN FRONT OF THE ALLEGED PERPETRATOR! Child victims should be protected from
their alleged abusers the same as adults. Many children have to
live with, visit, often unsupervised, and spend the night with
their perpetrator after disclosure and thoroughout the course of
the case. Many of these children have to live with their perpetrators during the investigation, the trial and even afterwards in some cases! If an adult victim of physical or sexual abuse was court ordered to visit, even supervised, with their perpetrator there would be an outcry heard around our Nation!
WE WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR TO YOU, THAT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES DOES OUR AGENCY WORK WITH OR SUPPORT PERPETRATORS OF CHILD ABUSE OR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. However, many parents, mostly single mothers,lose all rights to their children for doing no harm to them. I personally know of a parent who had their children removed because the children slept on a footon! We have had many clients who's children have been placed in foster care when there were willing and capable family members available for placement. THIS TOO HAS GOT TO STOP!!! WE DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES SUPPORT THE "THEORY" OF PARENT ALIENATION SYNDROME. We work with many parents, mostly single mothers, who have been accused of a psuedo science "syndrome" that is not recoginzed in the DMS IV, called Parent Alienation Syndrome. There are some links on this web site to provide you with more information about this junk science "sydrome" that is being allowed into our court rooms across the nation although it does NOT meet the standard of scientific evidence. We had a dad client who was incarcerated because he had his daughter physically examined when she disclosed sexual abuse at the hands of her mom's boyfriend. THIS TOO HAS GOT TO STOP!!!
Families should expect and receive expedient interviews and exams
no matter what the age of the child. Families should not have to
receive referrals to acquire these services. Services should be available throughout the US in every emergency room and in clinics. This is critical because physical evidence such as body fluids are not present via DNA testing after 72 hours.