BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — One of the first of its kind, the Prescott House child advocacy center turned 30 years old this week, and it is celebrating decades of making a difference. Based in Birmingham and founded by former Former Jefferson County District Attorney David Barber, Prescott House provides services to child victims of physical and sexual abuse, severely neglected children, and those who have witnessed a violent crime.

At the time it opened its doors, Prescott House was only the second such child advocacy group nation. It is also possible that it was also one of the first of its kind in the whole world.

Prescott House works with children who must be interviewed by law enforcement or testify in court in relation to crimes. The children speak to a specialized forensic interviewer who is trained to work with traumatized young people. The organization records all the interviews on tape, which often provide enough evidence to put perpetrators behind bars before a case even goes to trial. Overall, 450 forensic interviews and 150 counseling sessions are conducted each year.

The non-profit organization provides all of its services to children free of charge to them and their families. Barber wanted that to be the case after he saw the trauma imposed upon many young kids that witnessed terrible crimes while he worked for the D.A.

To celebrate the organization’s successes, the Prescott House will host a Gala and Golf Weekend this month. The Gala will take place on June 15 at Vulcan Park from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The golf tournament will be held on June 16 at Highland Park Golf Course, and registration begins that morning at 8 a.m.

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Prescott House from Nathan Troost on Vimeo.