Hope Haven of Hancock County

Direct assistance to families with children experiencing hardship through counseling, monetary assistance, and referrals.  

Our goals:
- Keep families together
- Ensure children are in a safe and healthy environment
- Prevent children from being taken into custody of social services due solely to economic situations

Structured conversation between a child and the Hope Haven professionally trained interviewer and is intended to document and record detailed information about an event that the child may have witnessed or experienced.
 
Performed at Hope Haven office in a safe & controlled environment. Audio & video recordings reviewed by agencies involved in the investigation, including law enforcement and child protective services, can be used as evidence in court proceedings.

Goals:  
- Ensure the safety of the individual child
- Reduce the stress and pain the child endures having to retell a traumatic experience
- Produce an objective and legally defensible statement.

First child sexual abuse prevention program in South Mississippi. Hope Haven trains community members to recognize and prevent child sexual abuse.

- 1 in 10 children are sexually abused
- 90% of children sexually abused know their abuser
- Only about one third of child sexual abuse incidents are identified* (statistics from Darkness to Light)

Every Adult in Mississippi is a mandatory reporter for any suspected child abuse. Training classes are offered “free of charge” upon request to Hope Haven.