Empathy, Healing, and Hope: Nurturing Resilience at the Audrey Hepburn CARE Center – A Sanctuary for Physical & Sexual Abuse, and Human Trafficking Survivors

Unfortunately, we can never be fully prepared for what life throws our way and what life throws in the way of our children. Young children, adolescents and teens can suffer from a variety of different life experiences, trauma, and illnesses related to both.  

More than 600,000 children are abused each year in the United States. This includes children that have been human trafficked. We may hear about instances of abuse and human trafficking but think that it could never happen to us. Many times, exploitation of juveniles flies under the radar through tactics of psychological manipulation and taking advantage of the most vulnerable minds, which can easily happen to young children and teens.  How can you be prepared to help your child if they experience something similar? By knowing what resources are available to you so that your loved ones can receive the best care!  

What is the CARE Center at Children’s Hospital? 

The Audrey Hepburn Children at Risk Evaluation (CARE) Center at Children’s Hospital is a specialized medical clinic where physicians and nurse practitioners with advanced training evaluate children when there are concerns of child physical or child sexual abuse. The CARE Center is a community benefits program of Children’s Hospital, so there are no out of pocket expenses for families seen at the CARE Center.  

Who is eligible to receive care there? 

The CARE Center serves numerous parishes in southern Louisiana and the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. In addition to medical evaluation, the CARE Center also provides case management to assist families in locating appropriate counseling resources in their local community. Child Abuse can affect any child regardless of age, gender, race, culture and socio-economic status, and with the CARE Center, there are no boundaries to access the help you need.  

How can I know if the CARE Center is for us? 

Last year alone, the CARE Center saw over 1,200 children for evaluation due to concerns of possible abuse. With the plans for the new Morgan Rae Center for Hope, we are very excited to improve the experience for children by creating a beautiful, child and teen friendly facility. In addition, we anticipate being able to provide services to even more children with added staff and patient areas. 

To learn more about the Audrey Hepburn CARE Center visit https://www.chnola.org/services/audrey-hepburn-care-center/