Childrens Advocacy Center of S

Childrens Advocacy centers were developed in the mid-1980s to address systematic problems of coordination and care for child abuse cases. Research clearly shows that Advocacy services are essential for the future well being of victims and their healing process. Minors who do not receive service at cacs are less likely to receive medical and mental health assessments or follow-up, and are less likely to participate in the prosecution of offenders. The cac model also encourages the involvement and commitment of the vicitms family in their long-term healing. Sacac provides professionally coordinated, bilingual services to support families and to investigate and prosecute child abuse and neglect. Following national standards, sacacs dedicated, certified professional staff provides forensic interviews, connections to resources, and medical services in a single youth-friendly location. Use of this model reduces victim stress while also nearly doubling the rate of prosecution. Our dedicated, professional staff provide crisis intervention for immediate support and stabilization during the initial visit. Case management and wraparound services for children and their families support their journey of healing through the criminal justice process. This may include referrals to community resources as well as therapy, family support groups, survivor empowerment programming, and simple supports like groceries, toiletries, and school suppplies. 100% of our clients indicate their child felt safe at the center and that they received the information and support they needed.