Children's Advocacy Centers
Children’s Advocacy Centers (CAC) are the predominant national model for addressing the impact of child abuse by coordinating the investigation, treatment, and prosecution of such cases via a multidisciplinary approach. A trauma-informed multidisciplinary team (MDT) is the foundation of a CAC's service provision and considered best practice when responding to child abuse. Over 350,000 children are served annually at CACs across the United States. The CAC model provides a coordinated, evidence-based response to children who have experienced child abuse which can include medical, forensic, mental health, and advocacy supports. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has developed resources for building skills and increasing knowledge about childhood trauma to help CAC multidisciplinary teams including, advocates, caseworkers, medical professionals, forensic interviewers, law enforcement, child welfare, prosecuting agencies, and mental health personnel to better understand and respond to the needs of traumatized children. If you are a caregiver who needs help for your child, please click here for a state by state listing of CACs: https://www.regionalcacs.org.
External Resources
The following resources on children's advocacy centers were developed by external partners and organizations.