What is a Child Advocacy Center?
- A safe, child-friendly setting for child abuse victims to receives specialized investigative, medical and therapeutic services.
- A child-centered environment designed to respect privacy and encourage compassion to maximize the process of healing.
- A place where law enforcement, child protective services, prosecutors, victim advocates, medical and mental health professionals meet to coordinate multidisciplinary services.
- Where investigators and child protective services partner to limit the number of times a child is interviewed, thus reducing trauma and ensuring the best possible outcome.
- Where referrals for medical, mental health, or other community resources can be arranged.
Multi-Disciplinary Team Approach
There is a multi-disciplinary team approach to allegations of crimes against children which is a group of professionals working together to investigate allegations of abuse while ensuring the best interests of the children are being served and the potential for future trauma is reduced.
Therefore, the investigations handled at the CACGC involve:
- A caseworker from the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (formerly D.Y.F.S.)
- A Detective from the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office
- A Municipal Police Detective
- A Victim Advocate
- An Assistant Prosecutor
- Medical Professionals
The CACGC provides one safe place, one team, one coordinated response to help child abuse victims and their families.
