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Children’s Advocacy Centers

Overview

Funding

Evaluation

TTA

Contacts

Resourcesnew

FAQs

OverviewTop  
Children's Advocacy Centers coordinate the investigation, treatment, and prosecution of child abuse cases by utilizing multidisciplinary teams of professionals involved in child protective and victim advocacy services, law enforcement and prosecution, and physical and mental health.

Children’s Advocacy Centers must include the following components:
  • Child-appropriate facility.
  • Multidisciplinary team.
  • Designated legal entity responsible for program and fiscal operations.
  • Culturally competent policies and practices.
  • Forensic interviews conducted in an objective, nonduplicative manner.
  • Medical evaluation and treatment.
  • Therapeutic intervention.
  • Victim support/advocacy.
  • Case review and tracking.

Four regional centers provide consultation and training and technical assistance services to communities that are developing local centers and also services to strengthen existing centers. The regional centers work cooperatively with the National Children’s Alliance, which provides national leadership and advocacy for local centers. The Alliance also provides training, technical assistance, and networking opportunities to communities that are planning, establishing, or improving local centers.

The National Children’s Advocacy Center, dedicated to developing and researching best practice models, provides education, training and professional services to promote excellence in child abuse response and prevention. The Native American Children's Alliance is an intertribal, cross-mentoring organization whose mission is to inspire and support the development, growth, and maintenance of multi-disciplinary teams and Children's Advocacy Centers in Native American and Alaska Native communities in their efforts to address child abuse.
FundingTop  
Each year, the National Children's Alliance releases its request for proposals to provide monetary subgrants to existing and developing Children's Advocacy Centers. Applications and information are available on the Web site for the National Children's Alliance.
EvaluationTop  
The National Institute of Justice has published a resource book to assist administrators of Children’s Advocacy Centers in program evaluation.
Training and Technical AssistanceTop  
The four regional centers provide training and technical assistance to existing and developing center programs. The National Children's Advocacy Center and the National Children’s Alliance also provide training and technical assistance.
ContactsTop  
OJJDP Contact(s)

Lou Ann Holland
Program Manager
202-305-2742
lou.ann.holland@usdoj.gov

Training and Technical Assistance Contact(s)
Midwest Regional Children’s Advocacy Center
Midwest Children’s Resource Center
347 North Smith Avenue, Suite #401
St. Paul, MN 55102
888-422-2955
651-268-2176 (fax)
mrcac@childrenshc.org
http://www.mrcac.org/
 Jane Braun
Project Director
jane.braun@childrenshc.org
National Children's Advocacy Center
210 Pratt Avenue
Huntsville, AL 35801
256-534-5437
256-534-6883 (fax)
http://www.nationalcac.org
 Chris Newlin
Executive Director
cnewlin@nationalcac.org
National Children’s Alliance
516 C Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
800-239-9950
202-548-0099 (fax)
info@nca-online.org
http://www.nca-online.org
 Nancy Chandler
Executive Director
nchandler@nca-online.org
Native American Children’s Alliance
210 Pratt Avenue, NE
Huntsville, AL 35801
256-327-3875
216-321-7989 (fax)
http://www.nativechildalliance.org
 Linda Rasmussen
Federal Programs Manager
lrasmussen@nationalcac.org
Northeast Regional Children’s Advocacy Center
Philadelphia Children’s Alliance
4000 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
800-662-4124
215-387-9513 (fax)
http://www.nrcac.com/
 Anne Lynn
Project Director
alynn@cacphila.org
Southern Regional Children’s Advocacy Center
210 Pratt Avenue NE.
Huntsville, AL 35801
800-747-8122
http://www.nationalcac.org/southern-regional-child-advocacy-center/about-srcac.html
 Darlene Woodard
Training & Resource Consultant
dwoodard@nationalcac.org
Western Regional Children’s Advocacy Center
Children’s Advocacy Center for the Pikes Peak Region
423 South Cascade Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
719-440-8761
719-636-1912 (fax)
http://www.westernregionalcac.org/
 Teresa Huizar
Executive Director
thuizar@nca-online.org
ResourcesTop  
OJJDP Publication(s)
Evaluating Children's Advocacy Centers' Response to Child Sexual Abuse
Bulletin, August 2008. Describes an evaluation of the effectiveness of four prominent Children’s Advocacy Centers and comparison communities in coordinating child abuse investigations and providing victim services. Available online only. 12 pages. NCJ 218530.
Abstract
PDF(306 KB) 
Link(s)

National Children’s Alliance
Provides training, technical assistance, publications, statutes, links, and networking opportunities to communities seeking to plan, establish, and improve Children's Advocacy Centers.

National Children's Advocacy Center
Provides training, prevention, intervention and treatment services to fight child abuse and neglect and research on NCAC models and other child abuse issues.

Other Resources

AMBER Alert | National Sex Offender Public Web Site

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