KKC Cares: Guiding and Empowering Families Navigating Childhood Sexual Abuse and Its Complex Path
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WRITTEN BY JENNIFER K. STRATTMAN
here are some things we don’t talk about. Perhaps we don’t want to imagine the trauma, or maybe we believe such a conversation is inappropriate. However, most of the time, we just don’t have the right words. And, if we don’t discuss it, maybe it will go away. But it never does.
One such topic is childhood sexual abuse. According to Khriste Kunz, founder of the nonprofit organization KKC Cares, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually molested by age 18. So, we need to start the conversation. And the time is now. THE FOUNDING STORY Meet Khriste. As a teenager, Khriste’s daughter Morgan reported that she was molested by her stepfather. The authorities didn’t believe her. Instead, the investigation was unsubstantiated, and Morgan’s disclosure was attributed to a host of mental illnesses. Following mental health professionals’ advice, the family waited. But three years later, the abuse recurred, and Morgan reported again. But, because her first report was unfounded, Khriste’s attorney said Morgan had to disclose more information, which she did two weeks later. This time—over three years later—the report was substantiated.
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But that wasn’t the end for Khriste, Morgan, and their family. Their home life was shattered, and agencies neglected to communicate. For example, one day, Khriste learned that Family Court gave unsupervised visits to Morgan’s siblings, while, at the same time, there was a warrant out for Morgan’s stepfather’s arrest. Khriste was then forced to ask who communicates between supporting agencies like CPS (Child Protective Services) and law enforcement to keep children safe. She was told: “You do.” On her own, Khriste learned social services and law enforcements’ rules, regulations, and nuances. She had to grasp, “how to coordinate and navigate all the systems I [she] never knew about.” Thus, KKC Cares was born: To support, advocate for, and coordinate family needs, post-trauma. SERVICES KKC Cares is the only agency in the United States that provides ongoing support groups for non-offending parents and guardians at no cost. They offer clients support, advocacy, and liaison services in the face of childhood sexual abuse. The overarching goal is to guide children and families as they transition “from surviving to thriving.” Much of what they do centers around support, advocacy, and education. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com
