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Child protection, health, and welfare

Child Advocacy Studies (CAST) Consortium

The CAST Consortium strengthens the knowledge and skill base of emerging and current members of the child-serving workforce. The Consortium develops and disseminates innovative curricula for mandated reporters across the postsecondary spectrum through professional continuing education. Consortium staff, Child Advocacy Studies academic programs leaders, and Child Advocacy Center service providers will analyze and interpret data gleaned through curricular needs assessments, surveys, and key informant interviews...

Internet Safety Month

OJJDP's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program

OJJDP created the ICAC program under the authority of the fiscal year (FY) 1998 Justice Appropriations Act, Public Law 105–119. The ICAC program helps state and local law enforcement agencies develop an effective response to technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and Internet crimes against children. The ICAC program is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces representing 5,230 federal...

Building the Capacity of Undergraduate and Graduate Programs to Train Child Protection Personnel

Zero Abuse will survey frontline professionals, child advocacy center (CAC) leadership, and academic faculty to update its current Child Advocacy Studies (CAST) program plan and course content. Zero Abuse also will develop six CAST toolkits tailored for undergraduate and graduate CAST courses to allow schools to provide education that leads to more qualified graduates being hired into child-serving, child protection-centered professions. Zero Abuse also will...

National Military and CAC Partnership Program

National Children's Alliance is the nonprofit membership organization and accrediting body for the nation's children's advocacy centers (CACs). A CAC is a child-friendly facility in which law enforcement, child protection, prosecution, mental health, medical, and victim advocacy professionals work together to investigate abuse, help children heal from abuse, and hold offenders accountable. This project will support a national program for CAC and military collaborations that...

Children's Advocacy Centers

Overview

Children's Advocacy Centers coordinate the investigation, treatment, and prosecution of child abuse cases by utilizing multidisciplinary teams of professionals involved in child protective and victim advocacy services, law enforcement and prosecution, and physical and mental health.

Children's Advocacy Centers must include the following components:

  • Child-appropriate facility.
  • Multidisciplinary team.
  • Designated legal entity responsible...