The Indiana Chapter of the National Children’s Alliance congratulates Sylvia’s Child Advocacy Center, which has been reaccredited by the National Children’s Alliance (NCA) for another five years.
Sylvia’s CAC was first accredited in 2021. To keep that status, every accredited center repeats the full NCA review every five years and shows that it still meets or exceeds national standards. Sylvia’s CAC is one of 11 NCA-accredited centers among Indiana’s 24 primary Children’s Advocacy Centers.
Reaccreditation means Sylvia’s CAC follows strict national standards for responding to child abuse. For the hundreds of families the Center serves each year, and for the community around it, it also means the Center’s work reflects established best practices in child protection, victim advocacy and trauma-informed care.
“Reaccreditation is an important milestone for our organization, but what matters most is what it represents for the children and families who come through our doors,” said Kassie Frazier, Executive Director of Sylvia’s Child Advocacy Center. “Every child deserves to be heard, believed, and supported by people who understand what they’re going through. This recognition reflects the dedication of our staff and community partners to making sure children receive the compassionate, coordinated response they deserve.”
Kim Olesker, Director of the Indiana Chapter of the National Children’s Alliance, said accreditation is about accountability:
“When a child experiences abuse, families deserve to know they are in the hands of a team committed to getting it right,” Olesker said. “We are proud that Sylvia’s CAC was reaccredited through the National Children’s Alliance. It means they have demonstrated commitment to high standards, coordinated care, and putting children’s needs first. For parents, it means confidence that their child will be treated with compassion and care. For communities, it means investing in a trusted, accountable response that helps children heal and holds those who harm them accountable.”
What accreditation involves
NCA accreditation is an ongoing commitment. Centers spend months preparing for each review, and the standards are updated from time to time to reflect new research and evidence-based practice in serving child victims.
The review covers almost every part of how a center operates:
- multidisciplinary teamwork and case coordination
- forensic interviewing
- victim advocacy
- medical evaluation and mental health services
- child safety
- organizational capacity
Centers must show that they have the right policies in place and that they follow them consistently. They do this through layers of documentation plus virtual and in-person site visits by independent reviewers, which gives an outside assessment of how well the center does its job.