Individual Success
In December of 2003 a young teenage girl found the courage to report that she had been molested for several years by her biological father. Following this allegation she found her family in turmoil: her father was arrested, her mother was torn between her daughter and her husband, and her younger brother was trying his best to be her protector.

The Department of Children and Families allowed the children to remain with their mother and the family relocated to their Grandmother's home. The Ocala Police Department made a referral to The Marion County Children's Advocacy Center, Kimberly's Cottage, for counseling services and a Multidisciplinary (MDT) Team Staffing. The MDT met to discuss the case and created an Action Plan to ensure that this young victim was protected. In the beginning this mother appeared protective and compassionate with her daughter, but the situation rapidly deteriorated. This young lady reported to the staff of Kimberly's Cottage that her mother was continually bombarding and bribing her to recant the story of abuse. Her mother had also made the decision to go live with her husband following his release from jail while leaving the children with friends. These allegations were also reported to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and law enforcement by the child victim and through a Multidisciplinary Staffing Team update. Because this child was able to trust her DCF case worker, the VOCA staff of Kimberly's Cottage and the victim advocates at Ocala Police Department, DCF was able to intervene and remove these children from a harmful environment.

The children are now placed with friends of the family. They are safe, thriving, and receiving VOCA funded counseling and advocacy services at Kimberly's Cottage. This case is an example of the success achieved by the Children's Advocacy Center's team approach. With community agencies working together, networking and reviewing cases, we have an increased level of knowledge and involvement with our clients which enables us to meet their needs and begin the healing process.

Group Success
The evenings at Kimberly's Cottage have become a special time for healing, acceptance, and moving forward. While most organizations are closing up for the evening, Kimberly's Cottage is just getting started. There is one particular evening every week when a special group of girls come together to talk about the reason they are here in counseling and more importantly the reason they will not always need to be here at Kimberly's Cottage.

This unique group of pre-teenage girls seek each others company and support to discuss not only being a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, but also to discuss the many feelings and emotions that go along with dealing with the type of victimization most of us cannot even begin to imagine. Tracey is a 12 year old who survived sexual abuse by a neighbor in her apartment complex. In her first Group session, this fragile child was unable to even state the abuse she had endured; "my name is Tracey, and I like cats" were her opening words, instead of "my name is Tracey, and I was sexually abused." Tracey is strong however, and she pushed herself to attend each session allowing healing to begin. By the last Group Session she was not only able to admit she had survived abuse, but she was able to remind the other girls they too would heal.

Justine, a 10 year old survivor of sexual abuse by her biological father has emerged as the young leader of this close knit Group. Though it has taken months of intensive counseling and support from her family, she has often been overheard reassuring her Group Mates, stating "we are not alone, look at all of us." Tracey and Justine's resiliency are proof that children do heal and the trauma of childhood abuse can be overcome.

The Kimberly's Cottage Child Sexual Abuse Survivors group tackles such difficult topics as Good Touch/Bad Touch, reporting abuse, the impact their abuse has had for them, their relationships with others, and how to continually press forward in the healing process by building self esteem and learning about positive changes. The Group Facilitators use various techniques to work with this great group of girls, including group process, self disclosure, positive feedback, peer support, the therapeutic use of art, journaling, role playing, and problem solving. Each girl brings a unique dynamic to the Group, challenging not only each other, but also themselves.