Child Advocacy Model
Kids’ Space Child Advocacy Center is a nonprofit organization that coordinates the Muskogee Co. Multidisciplinary Team and provides a coordinated community response to child abuse victims, their non-offending caregivers and victims of sexual assault. All services are provided in a child-friendly and safe environment at no cost to a child’s family. The purpose of a Child Advocacy Center is to eliminate the duplication of services and prevent a child from experiencing repeated trauma by telling their story one time in a safe place.
Benefits of a Child Advocacy Center:
Reduces the number of interviews a child victim must endure, which reduces the trauma to the child
Creates a comfortable, child-friendly environment for the investigation as opposed to the environment typically experienced in a hospital emergency room or police station
Greatly reduces the time victims and their families spend assisting with the investigation because all services are provided at one location – what once took weeks can often be achieved in hours
Reduces police and Child Protective Services investigative time
Enables quicker prosecutions through more efficient case processing
Increases communication between agencies for an improved understanding of their roles and case need
NCA
Kids’ Space Child Advocacy Center is a fully accredited member of the National Children's Alliance (NCA)
NCA's purpose is to empower local communities to provide comprehensive and compassionate services to victims of child abuse. To learn about child advocacy centers, visit the NCA website:
nationalchildrensalliance.org
These NCA Accredidation standards are rigorous and research based. ther are 10 standards CAC's must meet to become and remain accredited and eligible for Oklahoma State CAMA funding:
1
Coordination of Multi-disciplinary [child Abuse Investigation] Team (MDT)
2
Diversity, Equity, and Access to Services
3
Forensic Interview
4
Victim Support and Advocacy
5
Medical Evaluation
6
Mental Health
7
Case Review and Coordination
8
Case Tracking
9
Organizational Capacity
10
Child Safety and Protection