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Home > Responding to Child Abuse & Neglect > Intake, Investigation, & Assessment > Investigation > Multidisciplinary Teams > Child Advocacy Centers
Child Advocacy Centers
Child advocacy centers (CACs) are community-based, child-friendly, multidisciplinary services for children and families affected by sexual abuse or severe physical abuse. CACs bring together, often in one location, child protective services investigators, law enforcement, prosecutors, and medical and mental health professionals to provide a coordinated, comprehensive response to victims and their caregivers.
Child Abuse Investigations: Reasons for Using Child Advocacy Centers and Suggestions for Improvement
Newman, Dammemfelser, & Pendleton
Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 22(2), 2005
View Abstract
Survey results from child protective services and child abuse law enforcement investigators who use a child advocacy center for criminal cases.
Child Advocacy Centers: One Stop on the Road to Performance-Based Child Protection (PDF - 581 KB)
Reason Public Policy Institute (2003)
Findings and recommendations from a survey of executive directors.
Children's Advocacy Centers: Understanding the Impact of a Phenomenon
Simone, Cross, Jones, & Walsh (2005)
In Child Victimization: Maltreatment, Bullying and Dating Violence, Prevention and Intervention
View Abstract
Describes the components of a typical center and identifies the most common program models.
Executive Summary: Findings From the NCAC Cost-Benefit Analysis of Community Responses to Child Maltreatment (PDF - 96 KB)
National Children's Advocacy Center (2006)
Discusses findings from a study comparing the cost effectiveness of a Child Advocacy Center (CAC) that used a multidisciplinary team approach and a county program that used a traditional model of joint investigations by child protection and law enforcement services.
Guidelines for Child Advocacy Centers in Indian Country (PDF - 131 KB)
Native American Children's Alliance (2004)
Guidelines for the development of child advocacy centers on American Indian reservations, addressing the unique challenges and strengths of tribal communities, culturally appropriate practices, and jurisdictional issues.
Multi-Site Evaluation of Children's Advocacy Centers (CACs)
Crimes Against Children Research Center (2006)
Funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), this study evaluated the impact of CACs on children, families, systems, and communities. The website provides a logic model, data dictionary, outcome survey documents, and evaluation findings.
National Children's Advocacy Center
Provides prevention, intervention, and treatment services to physically and sexually abused children and their families with a child-focused team approach.
National Children's Alliance
Provides training, technical assistance, and networking opportunities to communities seeking to plan, establish, and improve Children's Advocacy Centers.
NCAC Academy Online: To Model and Promote Excellence in Child Abuse Response and Prevention
National Children's Advocacy Center (2005)
National experts present a variety of topics of interest to multidisciplinary professionals.
NCAC Model Programs
National Children's Advocacy Center
Provides information on best practice models for professionals working with abused children and their families.
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