The Roots of the Center :
 In 1979 the National Exchange Club adopted child abuse
prevention as a national project and the Jackson Exchange Club began work
toward making a center a reality in Jackson. During that same year, the
news media in Jackson carried a story about a child who died as a result
of child abuse.
Entertainer and songwriter Carl
Perkins, a resident of Jackson, saw the child's picture and thought the
child resembled one of his own children. He was so moved by the tragic
story that he too decided something must be done to stop child abuse.
Carl helped organize a successful concert and the proceeds generated were
combined with funds received through a National Exchange Club Grant. This
allowed the center to open its doors in October 1981. This was the first
Exchange Club Center in Tennessee and the fourth nationwide.
Today, the Center is recognized as one of the largest
and most successful of its kind in the Nation. The Center, with over 80 staff members and hundreds of volunteers, works to give the hope of a
brighter future to children and families all across West Tennessee.
Center
Growth and Development 1981 to Present
October 1981 Center opens its first office in the Madison County Children’s
Group
Home Building
at 224
Lexington Street
in Jackson.
It is the first center of its kind in the state of
Tennessee
and only the fourth in the nation.
The Center was also the first licensed child abuse
prevention center in the State of
Tennessee.
Co-founders: Jackson Exchange Club and Carl Perkins.
May 1984
First Circles Newsletter distributed.
July 1984
The first Circles of Hope Telethon is held at
the studios of WBBJ-TV and raises $33,000.
The Center was serving 43 children at the time.
June 1985
Center becomes a United Way Agency.
July 1986
First State Grants were given to the Center.
VOCA and CAP programs began.
August 1986 Center moved to 212 N. Highland location in Jackson.
December 1986
Carl Perkins Commemorative Coca-Cola bottle
released as a means to raise funds for the Center.
Volunteer Program Established.
January 1987
Outreach services began in
Chester, Hardeman, and Henderson
Counties.
October 1989
Gibson County Center
opens in Trenton.
November 1989
Henderson
County Center
opens in Lexington.
September 1991
Haywood
County Center
opens in
Brownsville.
August 1993
The Judds make an appearance at the Circles of
Hope Telethon.
The event raises $150,000.
February 1994
Tipton County Center
opens in Covington.
February 1995
First Annual Blue Suede Dinner & auction is held
in Jackson.
April 1995
Center opens its first permanent location at 217 East College Street
in Jackson.
uly 1995
Madison County Child Advocacy Services began.
Child Sexual Abuse Services
began.
July 1996
Crockett
County Center
opens in Alamo.
Chester
County Center
opens in
Henderson.
August 1997
Hardeman
County Center
opens in Bolivar.
Child Advocacy Services began in
Henderson
and Tipton Counties.
September 1998
McNairy
County Center
opens in Selmer.
November 1999 Child Advocacy Services were separated from
other services in
Madison
County.
July 2000 Madison County Government donated land for the
Child Advocacy Center.
August 2000 Central Office Facility established to serve
all of West Tennessee.
July 2002
Carroll
County Center
opens in Huntingdon.
March 2003
Weakley
County
Center opens in Martin.
Child Advocacy Services provided for the first time in
Northwest Tennessee.
October 2003
Open House is held for the
Madison
Child Advocacy
Center at 182 Lexington Avenue in Jackson.
August 2004 Center is the fifth Exchange Club
Center in the nation to
receive AAA Accreditation from the National Exchange Club
Foundation. Now
the largest Center.
September 2004
Madison, Henderson and Tipton
County
Child Advocacy Centers
receive accreditation from the National Children’s Alliance
(NCA).
September 2004
Tennessee’s First Lady, Andrea
Conte’, walks across the state from one advocacy center to
another raising funds for child abuse prevention.
The Center’s four child advocacy centers receive a
total of $64,331 from the events.
January 2005 Americorps “One Child at a Time” program began.
(Federal Grant).
February 2005 Wynonna performs at the Blue Suede Dinner and
Auction. The
event breaks all previous attendance and financial records
and raises more than $238,000.
May 2005 Lives & Legacies Campaign Begins.
January 2006 Relative Care giver services begin in Northwest
Counties.
February 2006
Decatur
County Center opens.
October 2006
Exchange
Club-Carl
Perkins
Center celebrates its 25th
anniversary.
July 2006 Center begins Drug Endanger/Exposed Children’s
Programs (Meth grants)
in
Weakley
and
Tipton
Counties. Relative
Caregiver Program starts in Southwest.
March 2007 Building donated in Decatur County.
May 2007 Polly’s Playground established.
July 2007
Lauderdale
County Center
opened.
Building donated for use for
second site in Gibson
County
located in Humboldt.
Child Advocacy Services began. Victims
Assessment Dollars applied for in counties.
November 2007 Haywood
County
Child
Advocacy
Center completed. Pledged
out.
June 2008
Weakley
County CAC accredited by National Children’s Alliance. (NCA)
Center had a Record breaking
number of 5515 individuals served.
Lauderdale County
Building was donated.
Center received National CARE award from National Exchange
Foundation. Henderson
County building addition
completed and pledged out.
July 2008
Carroll County Child
Advocacy
Center
accredited by NCA.
Advisory Board in Hardin
County
created.
August 2008 Center raises $1.1 m at Circles of Hope
Telethon.
January 2009
Office space
donated in
Henry County for services.
February 2009
Weakley
County
Building Donated to
Center.
June 2009
Building donated for use in Hardin County
for Child Advocacy Services.
Gibson
County becomes accredited by National
Children’s Alliance.
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