Child Welfare Services: Children's Advocacy Center
Project Description:
Child abuse investigations involve representatives from many disciplines - law enforcement, child protection, prosecution, mental health, medical and victim advocacy. Best practice encourages all disciplines to work together to minimize the number of investigative interviews a child experiences by conducting a forensic interview that is observed by members of the investigative team and to make team decisions about the investigation, treatment, management and prosecution of child abuse cases. The Children's Advocacy Center model is a child-focused, facility-based program in which representatives from many disciplines work together with the goal of reducing trauma to child victims of abuse, protecting children, families and communities and promoting the prosecution of perpetrators.
Children who have experienced severe physical abuse or sexual abuse have in the past been interviewed by multiple professionals responsible for conducting assessments. This creates further trauma for children. The Children's Advocacy Center provides an environment where children can be interviewed by one member of the investigation team while others can observe the interview from an adjoining room via a television monitor. In addition, medical evaluations can be conducted by a child abuse pediatrician to assess, treat and provide medical follow-up for those children. This collaboration results in better outcomes for children and their families.
The primary goal of the CAC is to ensure that children are not further victimized by the intervention systems designed to protect them.
Program objectives include:
. Providing a comprehensive multidisciplinary, developmentally and culturally appropriate response to child abuse designed to meet the needs of children and their families in a our community;
. Establishing a neutral, child friendly facility where interviews and/or services for abused children can be provided;
. Preventing trauma to the child caused by multiple, duplicative contacts with different professionals;
. Providing needed mental health treatment and other services to children and families;
. Maintaining open communication, information sharing and case coordination among community professionals and agencies involved in child protection efforts so that case decision-making and policy development are enhanced;
. Coordinating and tracking investigative, prosecutorial, child protection and treatment efforts so that cases do not "fall through the cracks";
. Holding more offenders accountable through improved prosecution of child abuse cases;
. Enhancing professional skills necessary to effectively respond to cases of child abuse through cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural training and support;
. Enhancing community awareness and understanding of child abuse.
Training is provided to the CAC partner agencies, pediatricians, Emergency Department staff, schools and community agencies on a variety of child abuse related topics. In addition, staff has published articles and book chapters on child abuse related issues.
The CAC model has been found to be less expensive than other models of child abuse investigations that are not multidisciplinary.
Keyword(s):
child abuse; child advocacy; child abuse prevention and education
Core Function(s):
Training Trainees, Performing Direct and/or Demonstration Services, Performing Research or Evaluation, Developing & Disseminating Information, Continuing Education/Community Training
Area of Emphasis
Quality of Life
Target Audience:
Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees), Community Trainees / Short term trainees, Professionals and Para-Professionals, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN, General Public
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Other
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
Mulit-County, State
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
