The role of Child Advocacy Centers in child abuse investigations are the topic of discussion on the BeAKid’sHero podcast, a part of the Dr. Will’s Neighborhood community of podcasts. The show is available today from the iTunes Podcast store and via the web. From the show notes:
In this show, my child advocacy coach and mentor Jan Lutz shares her wisdom about Child Advocacy Centers (CACs), their operation and value to communities around the country.
Jan talks about the origin of CACs and how they reduce trauma to child victims involved in allegations of abuse or neglect. She shares insight into how child forensic interviews and multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) collaborate in the course of child abuse investigations and discusses best practices employed by CACs and MDTs across the country.
A national CAC site reviewer and accreditation professional for the National Children’s Alliance, Jan discusses the prolific nature of child abuse in the United States. She shares that in Indiana alone, nearly 25,000 children were interviewed in 2015. Over 300,000 children were interviewed at CACs around the country last year. Jan reflects on the increased number of alleged child abuse cases, Internet exploitation of children, witnessed crime and domestic violence.
Jan also shares what to do if you suspect a child is being maltreated or is in danger… she encourages everyone, whether you are a mandated reporter or not, to immediately contact your area child protective services department or local law enforcement.
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