When police or child protective services suspect a child is being abused, a caregiver or another trusted adult brings the child to the CAC—a safe, child-friendly space. At the CAC, the child meets with a trained forensic interviewer who asks the right questions in a way that avoids retraumatizing them. Afterward, a multidisciplinary team meets to decide the best ways to support the child.

The multidisciplinary team can include:

• Medical professionals
• Law enforcement
• Mental health experts
• Prosecutors
• Child protection staff
• Victim advocates
• Other support professionals

CACs also offer mental health therapy, medical exams, victim advocacy, and other services, all as part of the collaborative multidisciplinary team approach that is central to our work.