Children’s Advocacy Centers are boosting parent and caregiver satisfaction, ensuring specialized medical evaluations, and coordinating investigations to ensure better interventions for child victims of sexual or physical abuse and neglect. The effects are far-reaching. Child abuse takes a costly and moral toll on society. The broad purpose of child advocacy is to reduce negative impacts and improve outcomes for child victims.
For those interested in child advocacy work, Florida Institute of Technology offers an online Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Applied Psychology – Child Advocacy program. This comprehensive degree program prepares students to be effective practitioners in the child advocacy field or to pursue graduate-level study that can open doors to rewarding and impactful careers.
Child Advocacy Meaning: What Is It?
Child advocacy includes any individual, organization or professional network that speaks up for children’s best interests. Generally, this type of work centers on advocating to protect children’s rights violations, which occur in cases of domestic, physical and sexual abuse, as well as neglect.
The child advocacy model represents a cohesive approach to addressing child abuse instead of leaving cases to stream through a disjointed system. Coordinating and directing support services can amplify the positive impact child advocates and workers in related fields can have on children’s lives.
How Child Advocacy Centers Started
Former congressman and district attorney Bud Cramer launched the world’s first Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) with the goal of bridging communication between investigating agencies and social services. Cramer’s Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) approach brought together a variety of fields, including child protective services (CPS), medical workers, mental health workers, law enforcement and criminal justice to partner in what are now known as Child Advocacy Centers.
Founded in Huntsville, Alabama in 1985, the National Children’s Advocacy Center was established to address a spike in child sexual abuse. The organization soon began hosting symposiums on child abuse to gather and train child advocacy workers from around the nation and globe.
In 1988, CACs across the U.S. partnered to create the National Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers. Today, this organization is known as the National Children’s Alliance, or NCA. The NCA comprises roughly 900 accredited CACs nationwide, leading research, support, education and training to support abused or neglected children and improve response systems.
Child Advocacy Examples: The CAC Model
A CAC is a community-based agency focused on children. A CAC’s team of professionals interview and coordinate care for allegedly abused or neglected children, offering medical exams, therapy and other services. A CAC is a child-friendly, safe environment.
At a CAC, professionals across disciplines can collaborate and agree on investigations, treatment plans and legal action for child abuse cases. Overall, the aim of the CAC model is to reduce the amount of trauma child victims experience, offer efficient and thorough services, and improve prosecution of perpetrators. CACs also offer many logistical benefits, such as eliminating the need for transportation for families and reducing trauma by streamlining the process for children.
How the CAC Model Works
Unlike traditional, separated disciplines that work in isolation, CACs allow for immediate collaboration to improve efficiency. Children can tell their story just once, instead of having to repeat it and relive trauma with each unit involved in the system.
As a multidisciplinary team, CACs respond to and investigate abuse reports, pulling in law enforcement for immediate responses and arrest when necessary. Typically, either CPS or law enforcement brings the child to a center, which launches a joint investigation. Forensic interview services can interview children who may have experienced abuse as well, while medical services can provide physical exams. As part of the partnership, the District Attorney’s Office (DA) can review cases and guide investigations, determining which cases are appropriate for prosecution.
Services Offered by CACs
In the multi-disciplinary environment of a CAC, many services are available, including:
- Forensic interviews, which are neutral, coordinating and fact-finding to ensure they are legally sound
- Medical evaluations
- Victim support and advocacy, for both victims and their families
- Emotional support for victims and non-offending family members
- Counseling services
- Mental health services (or referrals) and therapeutic interventions
- Case tracking and review
In 2015, the National Children’s Alliance began to partner with the FBI to support federal cases. Victims of child pornography, trafficked children and sexually exploited children are also supported through the centers.
At a community level, CACs also offer training online, at conferences and at centers to equip professionals to respond to physical abuse. Today, this multi-disciplinary approach to child advocacy is international, taking root in countries across the globe. More than 370,000 children in the U.S. received CAC services in 2024 with this collaborative approach.
Make an Impact With a Career in Child Advocacy
Clearly, the work of CACs is critical for protecting children from neglect and abuse and caring for those who have experienced trauma. Child advocacy professionals play a crucial role in bringing together the services that children need to heal and recover.
Working in child advocacy is challenging and can even be traumatic to the empathetic professional. But, for many, the reward of improving the lives of vulnerable children is more than worth it.
Learn more about the online BA in Applied Psychology – Child Advocacy program from Florida Institute of Technology.
