The Baldwin County Child Advocacy Center (BCCAC) provides important services to the children of Baldwin County. For one night, they want to celebrate with the community while raising funds to continue serving the most vulnerable.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and to shed light on this important awareness campaign, the BCCAC will host their annual fundraiser Under the Stars at Oak Hollow Farm Friday, April 19. The evening promises great food, both a silent and live auction, live music by Six Piece Suits Band and dancing.

"We have the community come together and celebrate the services we have been providing for all of these amazing precious children," said Jessica Ware, BCCAC development director. "We do our best to raise funds to help us continue to provide all these much-needed services for the children that we serve every day."

The BCCAC has been serving the most vulnerable children of Baldwin County for 35 years. The staff provides services such as forensic interviews, counseling, family and court advocate programs, medical exams and multidisciplinary team case management to victims of sexual and severe physical abuse. They also offer abuse prevention education and related programs for the community. In 2022 alone they provided direct intervention services to 447 children ranging in age from three to 18.

"Once the children walk in the door, everyone here is going to make them feel comfortable, safe and cared for," Ware said. "They know they can come back to the same location for all the counseling they need, medical exams and court advocacy. They are coming back to the same child-friendly, homelike environment with the same people. It helps them heal more quickly because they feel comfortable, and they are not having to tell their story over and over again to many different people."

The BCCAC is a private nonprofit agency that provides its services free of charge. Ware said their main sources of funding come from state and local grants, private foundations, donations and fundraisers.

"There is no charge for any of the services the children receive, and they can come to counseling as long as they need to. Some of the kids might come once a week for three months while others may be here for a year or longer," Ware said. "We would not be able to function at all without the community's support. A large portion of our budget comes from public donations and local private organizations."

Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Under the Stars event and can be purchased by visiting, www.baldwincountycac.org/events. Tickets are $75. The fun begins at 6 p.m. at Oak Hollow Farm, 14210 S. Greeno Road, Fairhope.
Check out their website at www.BaldwinCountyCAC.org, Facebook page at Baldwin County Child Advocacy Center or call (251) 989-2555 for more information about the Under the Stars event, the BCCAC's history, mission, services or how you can get involved and help make a difference in a child's life.