Collin County Child Abuse Reports Top 9,200, CEO Tells Council

By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews

McKINNEY, Texas — More than 9,200 reports of suspected child abuse were recorded in Collin County during the past year, according to Dan Powers, chief executive officer of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County, who presented the figures to McKinney City Council during its October 20 work session.

“Last year, there was over 9200 reports of child abuse here in Collin County,” Powers told council members.

He also reported an increase from the previous year and addressed what he believes is contributing to the higher numbers.

“You know, a lot of people ask me is is it because there’s more children in Collin County now, or are we realizing abuse is happening or is there more abuse? And my answer to that is all of the above is happening.”

Powers said the center experienced a 6% increase in services during the past year. The number of reports does not necessarily represent the number of confirmed cases.

Growing Demand in McKinney

The organization operates facilities in McKinney and Plano, providing forensic interviews, counseling and support services to children and families.

Powers told council the center conducted 1,066 forensic interviews during its last fiscal year.

“60% of those interviews were done here,” Powers said, referring to the McKinney facility. He reported that the remaining 40% were conducted in Plano.

He also told council that 55% of the organization’s therapy services were provided at its McKinney location.

“So we’re really seeing a shift here to the northern part of our county. And the needs are growing and growing,” Powers said.

The center moved into its McKinney facility a little more than four years ago. Powers said officials anticipated increased demand but not at the current pace.

He also reported that approximately 200 children visit the organization’s two facilities combined each week for new and ongoing cases.

Discussing trends over the past five years, Powers said:

“But over the past five years, we saw a 17% increase of children served from the city of McKinney.”

He also reported a 10% increase in therapy services for McKinney children and a 20% increase in total clients across Collin County during the same period.

Services for Children and Families

Powers explained that the advocacy center provides forensic interviews, family advocacy and free trauma-focused counseling for children and their nonoffending family members.

The interviews allow trained staff to gather information about suspected abuse while reducing the need for children to repeat their experiences to multiple agencies.

“And that family has to heal, not just that child,” Powers said while discussing counseling services.

Powers also described the types of cases handled by the organization, including allegations of sexual abuse, physical abuse and neglect.

Referring to the center’s statistics, he told council that 57% of the children served were associated with sexual abuse allegations.

The organization also provides clothing, hygiene products and other necessities to families. Powers reported that its back-to-school program served 767 children, while its holiday assistance program served more than 1,000.

Powers discussed the center’s education efforts, including programs addressing online safety.

“But we educated over 22,000 kids last year, our last fiscal year,” he told council.

He credited cooperation with law enforcement, Child Protective Services and prosecutors for helping the center respond to reports and provide services.

Despite increasing demand, Powers said the organization’s goal is to continue serving children without placing them on a waiting list.

“We’re not going to have a waiting list,” he said. “We’re going to make sure we’re here for them, and we’re here for them as long as we can.”

The presentation was informational, and council took no action on the item.