Southern Regional Children's Advocacy Center

The National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) proposes to continue to provide training, technical assistance, and resources to State Chapters, Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs), and multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) within the southern federal census region through its Southern Regional Children’s Advocacy Center (SRCAC) program. Based on recent research, data analysis, and a needs assessment process, the project will focus its work under the following five focus areas: Chapters, MDTs, CACs, communications, and RCAC and Victims of Child Abuse Act (VOCAA) partner-focused collaborative work. 

The goals of the project are: 1) Chapters: To develop, strengthen, and sustain the organizational capacity of State Chapter organizations, to strengthen Chapters’ capacity to deliver training and technical assistance to local CACs and MDTs, and to create equitable and consistent access to training and technical assistance across the CAC movement; 2) MDTs: To enhance the capacity of MDTs to provide safety, justice, and healing for children and families impacted by abuse and trauma, and to support MDT Facilitators and develop the concept of MDT Leadership Teams in support of sustaining an effective MDT response; 3) CACs: To support the foundational and ongoing professional development pathways for direct service personnel, to enhance resiliency in the face of natural disasters, and to ensure access to training, technical assistance, publications, and resources; 4) Communications: To utilize strategic communications approaches to enhance access to resources; and 5) Collaboration: To enhance cross-Regional CAC and VOCAA program collaboration for impact and efficiency.  

All proposed objectives are considered with the following values as a framework: scale, impact, need, and collaborative approach. The activities are based on identified needs and will be coordinated with other Regional CACs, as well as the Tribal CAC TTA provider. The outcomes of the program are improved functioning of MDTs, enhanced professional competencies of CAC personnel and Chapter staff, decreased isolation, and increased access to resources.