​Tell Us with Leah Johnson

Frederick Magazine

June 2026​

​

​

 

Leah Johnson

Founder, The Friends of the Child Advocacy Center​​​​

​

​

​

​

Tell us what the Child Advocacy Center does.

It is a place where children and families come in the midst of some of the hardest moments of their lives and are met with compassion, safety and support. Instead of having to tell their story over and over, children share what happened in a child-friendly, trauma-informed environment while a coordinated team of professionals work behind the scenes to protect them and pursue justice. At its heart, a CAC helps children begin to heal from the trauma of physical or sexual abuse. 

​

What prompted the start of your organization?

The Friends of the Child Advocacy Center was established in 2006 as an outgrowth of the Frederick Woman’s Civic Club’s Community Improvement Project to provide a child-friendly environment where an abused child can describe the horrors of abuse one time. All professionals, (counselor, police officer, nurse, social worker, doctor, etc.) involved in child abuse cases are in one building. 

​

In the past, the victim of abuse had to tell his/her humiliating experience at various locations throughout the county, where the professional worked, before receiving treatment. It became evident that they need healing based on their individual needs beyond the basics of county government services. Thus, we gave birth to The Friends of the Child Advocacy Center.

​

The Friends group is celebrating 20 years. What are some highlights during that time?

First and foremost, individuals who come together as the all-volunteer Friends of the Child Advocacy Center Board work tirelessly to support the center, staff and individual client needs. Opportunities for raising awareness in the community come through the generosity of individual businesses fundraising, caring about the children, proclamations each April Child Abuse Awareness Month and planting pinwheels throughout the county. Our members personally painted and prepared facilities each time the county moved the CAC to a temporary location.

​

It is a highlight each time the CAC staff reaches out to us to support the needs of an individual child and their non-offending family members. We have been able to respond through a broad array of possibilities from clothing, safety issues, special programs, hobbies etc., for a CAC client as they begin to heal from the abuse.

​

Another highlight includes addressing the need for the professional staff to have a place to remember children who lost their lives as the result of abuse by creating The Healing Garden on 2nd Street in April 2015. 

​

What kind of feedback do you hear from the participants?

The director and CAC staff communicate that our support is like a safety blanket as children, through no fault of their own, strive to heal from the trauma of abuse.

​

What do you see for the future?

We will continue working with the director and staff at the Child Advocacy Center as long as there are abused children in Frederick County.