Blog

What does it mean for law enforcement serving at Children’s Advocacy Centers to go “all in”?  This question comes up often when I’m meeting with or presenting to law enforcement officers (LEOs) or multidisciplinary teams (MDTs). We all have our roles in the MDT response to child abuse allegations, but what about going beyond our… Continue Reading

Co-authored by Janis Wolak, Senior Researcher, University of New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Research Center Sextortion—threats to expose sexual images—can spark life-altering crises in the lives of young people. A new report we authored for University of New Hampshire’s Crimes against Children Research Center (CCRC) aims to shed some light on this new phenomenon and its consequences…. Continue Reading

Before I joined the NCA staff, I served as director of a Children’s Advocacy Center, as well as the Director of Behavioral Health for the umbrella agency which was a primary care clinic. As part of my duties to manage the treatment of children suffering from traumatic stress symptoms, I frequently conducted chart audits, and… 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

Mental health providers at Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) work with highly vulnerable children and youth: those who have experienced and/or witnessed abuse, neglect, homicide, domestic violence, and other interpersonal traumatic events. Many children are remarkably resilient, and some require treatment for their psychological and physical injuries. CACs face significant hurdles to helping these children. There… 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

The Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) movement is, in some ways, feeling those awful pangs of aging not unlike what we as humans inevitably experience over time. (Admittedly, this might be a factor of my own advancing age!) As young kids our parents make sure we stay healthy—eat our vegetables, drink our milk, get plenty of… Continue Reading

This movement we’ve built serves more than 300,000 children every year—kids who need healing, justice, and the chance to trust again after abuse. Their families need help to move forward. The members of their community need help knowing how to keep it from happening again. It takes a constellation of thousands of professionals working at… Continue Reading