Makayla*, a five-year old who was sexually abused by a family friend, was brought to the Center for Child Protection for a forensic interview. Initially she appeared calm and was enjoying playing with the volunteers in the playhouse. However, during the interview, Makayla said talking about what had happened to her made her feel afraid and she didn't want to talk. She then tightened her grip on the stuffed animal she brought with her into the interview room, covered her face with it, and began to cry uncontrollably. The detective and CPS investigator who were watching from the observation room saw that Makayla was not ready to talk about the abuse because she was in so much distress. Instead, they felt counseling would be the most helpful to her and referrals were made to a therapist who could assist Makayla in addressing her fears.

Although the investigation is on hold for now, the case can be re-opened at the appropriate time. Often through counseling, children are able to talk about their abuse once they've had the opportunity to address the scary emotions associated with their experience. What is most important is that Makayla feels safe and receives the emotional support from her family to overcome her fears. *Names and other identifying circumstances have been changed to protect the privacy of children and families.

Grab your friends and join us for a day of shopping at The Domain and chances to win lots of prizes, including a $1,500 Simon Giftcard. Organized by the Friends of Christopher Guild, the Domain PlayBingo Shopping Extravaganza will be held Saturday, August 25th from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. For a donation of $25, shoppers receive a "Bingo Card" with names of participating stores at The Domain. On August 25th, shoppers will take their bingo cards to each participating retailer for an opportunity to win fabulous merchandise and gift cards. In addition, the first 1,000 shoppers to purchase a bingo card will receive a signature tote from Lexus of Austin. Bingo cards are available for sale August 1st. Who knew a little retail therapy could do so much good? Find out more.

The NFL Alumni Association Austin Chapter, KB Home and Lexus of Austin helped raise more than $106,000 during the 5th Annual NFL Alumni Golf Classic presented by KB Home. The two-day event, held June 24th and 25th, was a benefit for the Center for Child Protection. The proceeds raised exceeded this year's fundraising goal, representing an almost 30 percent increase from the previous year. The two-day event began with the Caring for Kids Banquet sponsored by Lexus of Austin at the Texas Disposal Systems Exotic Game Ranch and Pavilion. The evening event featured silent and live auctions and check presentations from KB Home and Lexus of Austin. Read more.

We are grateful to Silicon Laboratories and their MCU and CAD Teams for adopting our Project Backpack this summer. They collected, assembled, and delivered 100 backpacks full of school supplies, which will be distributed to children and teens served by the Center next month! This is the second year Silicon Laboratories has supported this summer time drive for children. Silicon Laboratories, a global fabless semiconductor company, is an industry leader in the innovation of high-performance, analog-intensive, mixed-signal Integrated Circuits.