ATHOL – The Children’s Advocacy Center of Franklin County and North Quabbin will recognize Child Abuse Prevention & Awareness Month with a ceremony at Athol Public Library this Friday, April 11, at 9:30 a.m.

The event will feature the raising of the Child Abuse Prevention Flag in front of the library at 568 Main St.

Beth D’Agostino-Evans, executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center, said, “I’m working with Tina (Richardson) of Valuing Our Children and Heather Bialecki-Canning of the North Quabbin Community Coalition,” and local and state officials have been invited to the event.

D’Agostino-Evans explained, “We opened our doors about eight years ago. We got started with a very committed board and one staff member and it has grown a great deal since then. Between forensic interviews and mental health services we see anywhere from 150 to 200 kids a year. We’re busy.”

With the passing of the COVID pandemic, she said, “I would say the need for forensic interviews has gone down a little bit, because what is trending up is the need for mental health services related to a lot of the online stuff we’re seeing; child sexual exploitation, online images.”

D’Agostino-Evans continued, “Unfortunately, child sexual abuse is primarily involved with what we’re seeing. There also are certainly cases of physical, mental, emotional abuse. But sexual abuse is really the most prominent.”

Asked if her organization is seeing more children from members of the LGBTQ+ community, D’Agostino-Evans replied, “Yes. I would say that that is trending up.”

She said those children are dealing with problems both at home and at school.

The CAC of Franklin County and North Quabbin offers services to children of nearly all ages, D’Agostino-Evans explained. She said children come to the agency through a variety of sources.

“We have worked with kiddos as young as three months and up through the age of 18,” she added.

D’Agostino said anyone in need of services can call the agency at any time at 413-475-3401.

The CAC, headquartered in Greenfield, opened a second office on the Athol-Orange line in the Health Center Plaza in Orange in recent months. The new facility was made possible by an $86,900 grant from the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, as well as financial assistance from The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, the Bete Family Foundation and Greenfield Cooperative Bank.

A Child Abuse Prevention Flag will also be raised during a ceremony at 11 a.m., Friday, April 18, on Greenfield Common. It will be followed by a reception at Greenfield Public Library, 412 Main St.

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.