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. Resources include state and local examples.

Child Advocacy Center Multidisciplinary Team Decision and its Association to Child Protective Services Outcomes

Child Abuse and Neglect, 46

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Presents the findings of a study that evaluated the multidisciplinary team determination of the likelihood of child sexual abuse and its association to the outcome of the child protective services disposition.

Children's Advocacy Centers and Indian Country (PDF - 240 KB)
Cooper (2014)
Update, 24(2)
Explores the extent to which child welfare professionals have adopted multidisciplinary frameworks and the children's advocacy center model.

Forensic Interviewing: A Primer for Child Welfare Professionals
Series Title Factsheets
Author(s)
Child Welfare Information Gateway
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Year Published 2017
Provides child welfare professionals with a brief overview of forensic interviewing so they can better understand how such interviews affect their practice with children and families. Forensic interviewing is a means of gathering information from a victim or witness for use in a legal setting, such as a court hearing and is a key component of many child protective services investigations.

How the CAC Model Works
National Children’s Alliance
Provides information on the National Children’s Alliance and a flowchart of CAC investigation, intervention, and decision-making process.

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State and local examples

Child Advocacy Center
Child Advocacy Center
Provides an overview of services that the center provides, information on local child protection policy, forensic interviews, medical evaluations, advocacy and support, court school, case coordination, mental health services, community education, and the Center’s training center.

Child Advocacy Center [Video]
New York State Children's Alliance, Inc. (NYSCA) (2015)
Provides an overview of the NYSCA model from medical personnel, child welfare, and law enforcement staff.

Child Advocacy Centers of Mississippi (CACM)
Provides information on the history of CACM, child abuse statistics, parenting tips, a cartoon video explaining the benefit of child advocacy centers (CACs), locations of local CACs, and additional resources for teachers and faith providers.

Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas (CACTX)
Provides information on Texas’ children’s advocacy centers (CAC), the CAC model, child abuse statistics in Texas, signs of child abuse, training opportunities, and local centers.

Denver Advocacy Centers
Provides information on Denver’s children’s advocacy center, recognizing child abuse and neglect, and the Denver Safe from the Start prevention program. The website includes resources on keeping children safe, providing support to victims, and helping families recover.

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