Tara Hunter Bah has dedicated her career to the children of Huntsville, Madison, and Madison County. Her journey with the National Children’s Advocacy Center began at Alabama A&M University. She volunteered for the International Symposium on Child Abuse and then worked part-time for the organization.
As a member of the Prevention Team, Tara supervises the Healthy Families program. She teaches parenting skills and mentors new parents. Tara and team members stay with a family from when the child is born until the child is five years old. They help the parents set goals and see them through good times and challenging times.
“We know every uncle and auntie. We celebrate birthdays, mourn deaths, and just get to know these families,” said Tara. “We follow their lives and love to see them happy, grow, and meet their goals. Like when they get a car, graduate school, or have their GED, we are just along for the ride.”
Pre-pandemic, Tara and the team made house calls and worked with families in their homes. They turned to technology in 2020 and 2021, using every means possible to stay in touch with their families while keeping everyone healthy. Last year the Healthy Families Team worked with 40 families, including 47 children, and provided 781 home visits – some virtual, some in person.
Tara also plays a vital role in the NCAC CARES Program. This program works with community partners to support children exposed to substance abuse disorder. The goal is to help the child and caregiver navigate this challenging road while protecting the child from further trauma.
Tara will celebrate 30 years at the NCAC in December. She says while the work can be tough, there is nothing she would rather do. “It just is an awesome place to work. I know people say that, but it is. The people are great, and the work that I do is so rewarding, I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else. This work is what I was born to do,” said Tara.
After three decades of service and thousands of lives impacted, changed, and saved from abuse – calling Tara a superhero seems to fall short. But, for lack of a better word, we are so proud to share Tara’s story, as a representative of our incredible Prevention Team, during Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Our April Superhero is presented by Morris King & Hodge.
Do you know a hero in our community? Nominate them today!
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