The Children’s Advocacy Center of the South Plains is just one of a number of organizations in the area that help with abused or neglected children.
John Wuerflein works for the center as the community education coordinator, as well as a forensic interviewer.
He said forensic interviews are a tool used by law enforcement during investigations into allegations of child abuse.
“We interview them here, then law enforcement watches the interview, CPS [Child Protective Services] watches the interview, and then that’s part of the investigation,” he said. “We give the child a safe place to tell their story, in their own words about what happened.”
In 2015, Wuerflein said they conducted 761 forensic interviews.
Once the interviews are over, the children can leave with a teddy bear or a blanket. Those items are donated to the center for the children.
“It’s nice that people know what we need, and know that there are abused children, and that’s their way of helping,” he said.
Wuerflein also works with adults, mainly teachers, to recognize and report abuse. The programs he does with children focus on safety. The program for children is called Yello Dyno.
“If they feel that something’s just not right ,they have the right to say no no matter who it is, and then take three steps back and run like the wind,” Wuerflein said.
More information on the Children’s Advocacy Center of the South Plains can be found here, on their website.
Information from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services can be found here.
