CAC Development
The following is a checklist that has been developed by the National Children’s Alliance (NCA), which summarizes the tasks that need to be completed in establishing a Children’s Advocacy Center. While the activities are listed in approximate order, some will need to take place concurrently and there will be variations in each community.
- Convene a working committee or task force of key individuals
- Select leadership
- Conduct a needs assessment of the extent of the problem in the community
- Develop vision and mission statements
- Determine CAC service population
- Gather information on various CAC models
- Select the CAC approach that best suits the community
- Develop Interagency agreement and obtain agency commitment
- Determine organizational structure
- Determine which services will be offered on-site or through referrals
- Select site and design or acquire space for child-appropriate facility
- Determine staffing needs and agency roles
- Multidisciplinary team protocol development
- Research potential sources of support
- Plan and implement resource development
- Development of governance Board or advisory structure
- Develop policies and procedures for security and safe-guards
(internal financial controls, liability insurance, conflict of interest policies, etc.)
- Volunteer recruitment, screening and training development
- Training for program staff and community
- Consider providing child abuse prevention programming
- Develop program evaluation and accountability plan
- Cultivate leadership and funding resources on an ongoing basis
If your community is interested in the development of a Children’s Advocacy Center, please contact Jeanie Colella, Chair of the Michigan Chapter of the National Children’s Alliance at (231) 728-6410 or by email: jeaniec@childabusecouncil.org