Child Abuse Programs

The Children’s Recovery Center is one of 822 children’s advocacy centers in the United States. Advocacy centers are child-friendly facilities where law enforcement, child protection, prosecution, mental health, medical, and victim advocacy professionals work together to investigate abuse. They help children begin healing while holding offenders accountable.

When police or child protective services believe a child is being abused, the child is brought to the Children’s Recovery Center—a safe, child-focused environment—by a caregiver or other “safe” adult. At the center, the child tells their story once – just once – to a trained interviewer who knows the right questions to ask in a way that does not traumatize the child yet one more time.The interview is videotaped and shared with a team that includes medical professionals, law enforcement, mental health, prosecution, child protective services, victim advocacy, and other professionals. They will collaborate to make the best decision about how to help the child. Our centers offer therapy and medical exams, plus courtroom preparation, victim advocacy, case management, and other services. This is called the multidisciplinary team (MDT) response.  It means a lot of passionate professionals are going to work on behalf of the child.