HOW THE CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER OF GREATER ROCHESTER IS CHANGING LIVES: AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. DANIELE LYMAN-TORRES

Daniele Lyman-Torres discusses her role at the Child Advocacy Center of Greater Rochester, their mission to prevent child abuse and ways to get involved.

As President and CEO of the Child Advocacy Center of Greater Rochester (CACGROC), formerly the Bivona Child Advocacy Center, Daniele leads the charge in preventing child abuse and supporting survivors. Her work highlights the urgent need for community involvement, from creating safer neighborhoods to educating others about child safety. Through her leadership, the CACGROC continues its mission of advocacy, intervention and awareness, with the hope that one day, no child will have to live in fear.

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.

A: My name is Daniele Lyman-Torres and I'm the President and CEO of the Child Advocacy Center of Greater Rochester. I grew up in Rochester, NY, and I've dedicated my career to making our community a better place for children.

Q: What keeps you motivated and energized in your work?

A: I'm fueled by the urgency of the need and the work that we do. There are children tonight who are afraid to go to bed, who are afraid to be home, who are just waiting for someone to save them. That's what drives me to keep going and to keep pushing.

Q: Can you give an overview of the Child Advocacy Center of Greater Rochester (CACGROC)?

A: We're a part of a national movement to prevent and intervene in child abuse. We provide a one-stop model where children who have experienced abuse can get all the services they need, from medical exams to mental health support. We also work to prevent abuse by educating children and parents about child safety.

Q: What is the significance of the name change from Bivona Child Advocacy Center to the Child Advocacy Center of Greater Rochester?

A: As we approached our 20th anniversary, we wanted to be clearer about who we are and what we do. We want people to know that we're here for them and that there are ways to get involved and support our work.

Q: How can the residents of Greater Rochester get involved and help their own communities?

A: You can become aware of what you can do to help kids find their voice and be safe. Create a culture of safety in your neighborhood, classroom, community or sports team. Learn about child abuse prevention and how to identify signs of abuse. We want to engage our community – we need everyone to get fired up and angry about child abuse. We continue to see compounded trauma, with children who grew up in trauma now becoming parents and parenting in trauma. This emphasizes the need for more prevention work.

"The connectivity of where we live is bigger than just the city of Rochester or Monroe County. We have the greater region that makes up who we are."

Q: Speaking of community, what’s it like having Greater Rochester as CACGROC’s home?

A: We have a friendly and welcoming community. The connectivity of where we live is bigger than just the city of Rochester or Monroe County. We have the greater region that makes up who we are. We need to do a better job of seeing ourselves as a system and making sure resources are available when needed, which is another reason we purposefully named ourselves the Child Advocacy Center of Greater Rochester – we serve the area as a part of our ecosystem.

We saw children from 26 different counties last year, and so we’re more than just our county. We make sure that every child in our region understands that we’re a resource for them and we’ll help however we need to.

Q: What about Greater Rochester gives you pride?

A: There’s a lot to be gained from the rich culture that our history and our area brings. We have the opportunity to feel like both a big city and a small town.

But I’m also proud of our acknowledgement that have improvements to make as a region. We recognize the need to actively work on creating more inclusivity and diversity – we have it here and we should celebrate it. We’ve also grown a lot in specialty areas like healthcare and manufacturing, which continues to show that we are a thriving place for people to do business and call home.

Q: What should readers take away from this interview?

A: I want them to know about what we do, why we're here and how they can get involved – however that looks for you. We need everyone to join us in trying to end child abuse in our community.

If you’d like to be a Champion for Greater ROC and share your story with us, or know someone who should, reach out to us at begreaterroc@gmail.com or send us a direct message on Instagram. And while you’re there, give us a follow to stay connected to the Greater ROC community.