SAN ANTONIO – It's a safe haven built to serve abused children. ChildSafe specializes in treatment services, abuse prevention and education.
And the community’s eight newest victims will be walking through their doors in the coming days.
"An environment that's child friendly and really, really safe. Where children can feel comfortable telling their story," said ChildSafe director of programs Randy McGibeny.
Hundreds of victims come through their doors but Thursday night’s case was no less disturbing.
"My initial reaction to the story this morning was really kind of shock. I mean, how can you do that to a child?" McGibeny said.
Bexar County sheriff's deputies said they rescued eight children from a home on the 8100 block of Chipping Street.
Two toddlers were found in the backyard. One of them was chained to the ground and another was tied to a door with a dog leash. The discovery shocked neighbors.
"It's hard. You hear that story and you get angry. You want to go out there and you want to get justice for these children. It happens way too much in this community,” McGibeny said. “Last year I think there was 400-500 confirmed victims of child abuse."
ChildSafe works closely with law enforcement, the district attorney’s office and Child Protective Services.
McGibeny says his staff will help victims make a verbal outcry and turn over evidence to investigators.
"They’re really trying to look for information that is sensory detailed information. Information about the way things felt, the smell, the way things look. Details that a child might not necessarily have unless they were exposed to the actual crime," McGibeny said.
In this case, neighbors heard a child crying in the backyard and called for help.
A move that deputies said got the kids out of a dangerous situation. Allowing the staff at ChildSafe to start the long road to recovery.