In Australia, Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) have been raised as a way to improve responses to child abuse based on the demonstrated benefits of this approach in the United States. However, there are some important differences between jurisdictions in the U.S. and Australia that need to be considered in adapting the approach. For one, many… Continue Reading
The first time I walked into a Children’s Advocacy Center, I was a teenager dealing with the aftermath of years of sexual abuse. The CAC helped my family and I understand what happened to me and gave us hope to get through the process of both my healing and the prosecution of my perpetrator and… Continue Reading
It’s no great surprise that much of our work in advocating for the well-being of children focuses on, well, the children—how to interact with them, how to help them manage stress and trauma, how to recognize symptoms and identify treatments. However, a large body of evidence shows that intervening with parents to strengthen parenting can… Continue Reading
NOTE: This story contains graphic descriptions of violence against children. I was 23 years old, in my first job as an assistant social worker in the Atlanta schools, when I was called to the principal’s office of a quiet suburban elementary school. The principal met me with hushed tones outside his office door and said,… Continue Reading
Teresa Huizar, National Expert on Child Abuse Intervention and Trauma Treatment Teresa Huizar (pron. WEE-zar) is executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based National Children’s Alliance. She has served at every level in the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) movement, beginning her career in 1993 at a CAC in Colorado developing psychoeducation curricula. She has subsequently served… Continue Reading
NCA’s new Standards for Accredited Members call for an initial standardized mental health assessment and periodic re-assessment of children which serve to inform treatment. Every discussion about assessment (or screening) must be prefaced by a definition of what we are screening or assessing. Good practice dictates, and the Standards require, an assessment of other potential traumatic or abusive events,… Continue Reading
“A guy called Officer Friendly comes to school and teaches us not to answer the door when your parents are not home and don’t talk to strangers. They don’t teach us about people like my cousin Brian. I thought people like Brian jumped out of bushes and attacked you at night.” Those are the words… Continue Reading
Over just one week in the middle of August, a multi-agency team in LA County recovered eight minor victims of sex trafficking between 15 and 17 years of age in Operation Summer Rescue. The children have since been placed in protective services and are receiving care, however we know they will face a long road to… Continue Reading
It’s the first standard on the list: Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)—the professionals from every field necessary to help a child victim of abuse recover and heal. Every accredited Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) must demonstrate not only that it has a multidisciplinary team but also that this team’s work is supported by a written interagency agreement, that… Continue Reading
Healing, Justice, & Trust: How CACs prove (and improve) their work Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) provide children and families with healing and justice in a setting they can trust. We know they do because of more than 70,000 survey responses we collect each year from our caregivers and partners. NCA’s Outcome Measurement System (OMS) helps… Continue Reading