Idaho Network of Children's Advocacy Centers

Interested in helping or getting involved?

By donating, you help children across Idaho who may have experienced child abuse. Contact Tamara Pittz at 208-318-2294 or donate here.

INCAC can help you start a Child Advocacy Center in your Community

The National Children's Alliance defines a Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) as a child-focused, facility-based program in which representatives from core disciplines—law enforcement, child protection, prosecution, mental health, medical, and victim advocacy—collaborate to investigate child abuse reports, conduct forensic interviews, determine and provide evidence-based interventions, and assess cases for prosecution

Ready to Start a Children’s Advocacy Center?

Children’s Advocacy Centers provide a myriad of important services to the communities they serve. Are you interested in starting a CAC in your local area?

Contact INCAC if you are interested in starting a CAC.

The following steps are based on the strategic checklist created by the National Children’s Alliance as a guideline for establishing a new advocacy center. It’s worth noting that the process often varies based on the unique restrictions and challenges of each community. Furthermore, some steps may occur simultaneously, as the center nears completion.

Establish a committee or task force of key individuals.
Select leadership
Conduct a needs assessment to determine the extent of the local problem
Develop vision and mission statements
Determine service population for the CAC
Research various CAC models and select the one that works best for the center in question (INCAC supports the Utah CJC Program Child Interview Curriculum, formerly NICHD Forensic Interview model)
Obtain commitments from other agencies and develop an inter-agency policy
Create organizational structure
Determine which services will be offered on site and through referrals
Select future site
Establish organizational roles and estimate staffing needs
Develop multidisciplinary team protocols
Research funding and revenue options

For additional information and support, contact Tamara Pittz, Chapter Director of the Idaho Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers at info@cacidaho.org or by calling 208-318-2294.