Child Advocacy Centres (CACs) are child-focused centres that provide a trauma-informed, coordinated approach to investigation, intervention, treatment & prosecution in child abuse cases.
CACs minimize the impact of child abuse on the victim & the family by:
- Reducing the number of times the child/youth victim has to repeat their experience of abuse
- Providing a faster & more streamlined investigation process
- Increasing timely access to support & therapeutic resources for child/youth victims & their families
- Providing long-term support & follow-up for the child/youth and their family
CACs provide a leading practice in joint investigation intended to serve the developmental & emotional needs of young victims through the dovetailing of investigation & criminal justice while providing follow-up mental health needs.
