(Seguin) – Colorful pinwheels spinning across lawns and public spaces this month are serving as a visible reminder of the hundreds of local children impacted by abuse and neglect right here in Guadalupe County.
April is recognized as Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month, and members of the Guadalupe County Children’s Advocacy Center (GCCAC) recently addressed the Guadalupe County Commissioners Court to both mark the observance and to provide an update on the nonprofit’s work in the community.
According to GCCAC Executive Director Christy Williams, the organization has spent more than two decades working alongside local agencies to support children during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
“You all have been great supporters of ours for almost 22 years now, and we are truly thankful for the support of the court and the citizens of Guadalupe County as we continue to do the work of supporting children when they have been victims or witnesses of crime here in Guadalupe County,” said Williams.
Williams shared how the center not only serves children involved in allegations of abuse or neglect but also those who may have witnessed violent crimes.
“We work with children and families when there are allegations of child abuse or neglect, or if they have witnessed a crime. We work alongside our partners in law enforcement, child protective services, medical, mental health professionals in CASA and Belong,” said Williams.
Williams says a key part of that work includes conducting forensic interviews “designed to gather information in a way that minimizes additional trauma to the child.”
“We do forensic interviews of children. So that’s a child-friendly, non-leading, non-interrogative interview that is fact-finding for law enforcement and child protective services to be able to do their criminal and civil investigations,” said Williams. “Those forensic interviews can be used later in court, not in place of the child, but in support of their statements and are super important for preparing for court and for defense attorneys to be able to watch and determine what their steps will be, whether they want to go to court or if they would like to take a plea deal or something else. They are very impactful.”
Beyond interviews, she says the center also works closely with families, providing advocacy and connecting them to resources during ongoing investigations and recovery.
“We also provide support to family, supportive family members through family advocacy. And we give them resources and support for that time period,” said Williams.
She also took the public opportunity to share how GCCAC has recently expanded its services to address growing mental health needs among clients, including new screening measures.
“And we’ve really ramped up that program over the past couple of weeks. And we are now doing trauma screenings and suicide screenings when they are coming into our center. Unfortunately, we saw a large increase in the number of our clients committing suicide over the past year or so. And so, we are trying to do those screenings and ask those questions so that we can provide them with the support and get them hooked up with resources and therapy so that hopefully we don’t see our clients taking those steps in the future,” said Williams. “So that is a huge change since I approached you all in the past. And I’m really hoping that it makes a big difference.”
The organization has also seen significant growth in staffing and services over the years.
“We also have now 21 employees. So, when I first came and stood in front of this court, I think we had four — 12 years ago. And so, we’ve grown tremendously,” said Williams. “And we normally have about four therapy master’s level interns, too. So, our therapy department is two-thirds of our organization, and we can see about 250 clients a week in therapy services. So, we are really trying to fill the gap and the void that is the mental health just desert that Guadalupe County is, and provide trained and educated, trauma-informed, evidence-based therapy for all of our clients. And it is completely free to them.”
Williams says those services are made possible through a combination of grants, local funding and community support
The pinwheel displays seen throughout Seguin and Guadalupe County are part of an annual campaign to raise awareness, with each pinwheel representing a child served by the center. In 2025 alone, GCCAC supported 942 children — a number reflected at each of the pinwheel lawns.
Residents who suspect child abuse or neglect are encouraged to report concerns by calling 1-800-252-5400.
Photos courtesy Schertz PD.
