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Ginnie’s House Children’s Advocacy Center was opened in Spring 1998 and is situated in
the center of the Town of Newton, Sussex County, New Jersey. The Center is in the historic Park
Building located near the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, Sussex District Office of the New
Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services, Sussex County Judicial Complex, Sussex County
Sheriff’s Office and other human services agencies. The building was made available and is
maintained by the Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders. The Center is available to children
in Sussex County who may have been sexually or physically abused, assaulted, or witnessed a
violent crime, including domestic violence. We provide a safe, child friendly environment for child
abuse investigations, and treatment. We provide a multi-disciplinary team response to child abuse
allegations, working with child abuse victims and other community service providers that include;
Law Enforcement, Child Protective Services, Medical & Mental Health Professionals, Victim
Advocates, Social Service providers, to enhance services to child abuse victims and their families.
The Center is a nationally accredited and full member of the National Children’s Alliance, located in
Washington, D.C. Currently there are 700 Children’s Advocacy Centers throughout the United
States. The centers were established to avoid the re-victimization of children during the disclosure and investigation process.
The Ginnie’s House Children’s Advocacy Center is a New Jersey non-profit corporation. The Board
of Directors is comprised of representatives from participating agencies, educators, business and
community leaders. The Board oversees the operation of the Center and is dedicated to increasing community awareness of child abuse and its prevention.
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Victims usually know their abuser: few children are assaulted by strangers. Often abusers
are the people the children love, should be able to trust, and look to for their basic needs. It is not
uncommon for children to disclose their abuse after years of silence, for the abuser often uses bribes, threats and/or coercion to ensure the child keeps the abuse secret.
The process of disclosure involves revealing intimate and secret details to strangers, therefore, it is
essential that the trained professionals from the Prosecutor’s Child Abuse/Sex Crimes Unit and the
Division of Youth and Family Services work together to create an atmosphere of safety. The special
child-friendly environment at the Center helps the child to feel safe enough to recount details in one joint interview.
Family Advocate Program information
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The Center has a fully equipped medical examination room and has contracted with a local
physician who is experienced in child abuse diagnosis and reporting. The physician is assisted by
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners from the Newton Memorial Hospital SANE Program serving
Sussex County. Children also have access to this service at the Children’s House Regional Diagnostic Center at Hackensack University Medical Center.
The Pediatric Nurse Consultant of the Division of Youth and Family Services also has use of the
medical examination facility at the Center when performing routine pre-placement examinations of children.
Following the investigative interview, referrals are made for the child to receive specialized therapy to
begin coping with the guilt, shame, betrayal and anger that often accompany such abuse. Families
may be referred to Saint Clare’s Center for the Protection of Children, the Center for Evaluation and
Counseling, or Family Intervention Services, all participating agencies at the Center. The family may also elect to use a therapeutic professional of their own choosing.
The Center is a neutral base for professionals from the participating agencies to meet regularly and
determine the best plan for the safety and well being of the child, while maintaining the integrity of
the criminal and/or family court cases. This team of area professionals, the Multidisciplinary Team,
provides confidential case coordination to ensure consistency for the victim and non-offending family.
National studies have shown that children who have been repeatedly exposed to personal
safety education at school or in their community, disclose abuse sooner and impose significantly
less self-blame for the abuse. The symptoms often associated with child abuse have been shown to
be reduced through the results of personal safety education and immediate professional therapeutic intervention following disclosure.
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