Program areas at WV Child Advocacy Network
EXPANSION WVCAN has developed and maintained critical partnerships with funders in the state and region to grow the number of WV counties served by an accredited CAC from 38 to 46 from 2016 to 2023. 326,851 children, 93 of the states population, now live in a county officially served by a CAC. WVCAN is aiding in the expansion and development of CACs in unserved counties, with our goal of full state coverage on the horizon.
AWARENESS WVCAN continued to educate the public and key stakeholders on the prevalence, signs and symptoms of child abuse, recognition and response, and the healing work of child advocacy centers. We hosted our inaugural public-facing One WIth Courage awards reception to raise awareness of the mission and honor champions for children. We released our statewide data report, which included a content series on social media and several stories in the news. Lastly, we hosted awareness activities in April for Child Abuse Awareness Month, including the inaugural launch of the High5Drive for Brave WV Kids.
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT WVCAN helped local CACs evaluate their programs, measure outcomes, and improve the quality of services they provide to children, families, and the communities they serve. Every CAC in WV received an individualized data report comparing their annual data with other CACs in the state across the nation.Thirteen CACs joined our IT Cybersecurity Project, including participation in a HIPAA compliance training. 11 CACs received reaccreditation support, 20 CAC leads attended our Sustainability Through Self Care in-person event, 11 mental health care providers participated in our monthly expert-facilitated peer consultation calls, 8 CACs received multidisciplinary investigative team support. WVCAN conducted on-site statewide training sessions, worked with local CACs on board development strategic planning, hosted an in-person Forensic Interviewing for Preschoolers trainig hosted a virtual statewide conference for all child welfare professionals. This fiscal year, WVCAN trained 1429 individuals provided individualized technical assistance to all 21 WV CACs