Child Advocacy Center Of Montgomery County

ACHIEVING HEALING & JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS OF CHILD ABUSE BY PROVIDING COLLABORATIVE SERVICES, ADVOCACY, LEADERSHIP & EDUCATION.

WHEN A CHILD IS BRAVE ENOUGH TO TELL SOMEONE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ABUSED, THEY ARE REFERRED TO MISSION KIDS FOR A FORENSIC INTERVIEW. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SOCIAL SERVICES WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH MISSION KIDS AS A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY INVESTIGATIVE TEAM (MDIT) OBSERVE, BUT DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN, THE FORENSIC INTERVIEW AS IT TAKES PLACE, THEREBY REDUCING THE NUMBER OF INTERVIEWS A CHILD VICTIM MUST UNDERGO. THE CHILD'S SAFETY AND WELL-BEING ARE AT THE CORE OF THE INVESTIGATION. THE GOAL OF A FORENSIC INTERVIEW IS TO GATHER INFORMATION REGARDING THE ALLEGATIONS IN A WAY THAT DOES NOT TRAUMATIZE THE CHILD, IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS WELCOMING, WARM, FAMILY FRIENDLY AND SAFE. THE INTERVIEW CONSISTS OF A TRAINED FORENSIC INTERVIEWER SPEAKING WITH A CHILD REGARDING CONCERNS OR ALLEGATIONS OF MALTREATMENT IN A DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE, NON-THREATENING, NON-LEADING, CHILD-FRIENDLY MANNER. THE INTERVIEWS ASSIST LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH (CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES) IN THEIR INVESTIGATION OF THE ALLEGATIONS AND MINIMIZE THE NUMBER OF TIMES A CHILD MUST TELL THEIR STORY OF TRAUMA. THE CHILDREN ELIGIBLE FOR SERVICES AT MISSION KIDS ARE BETWEEN THE AGES OF VERBAL - 17, AND ARE ALLEGED VICTIMS OF SEXUAL OR SERIOUS PHYSICAL ABUSE, SIBLINGS OF VICTIMS LIVING AT HOME, OR CHILD WITNESSES TO VIOLENCE. BY ELIMINATING THE TRAUMA OF REPEATED INTERVIEWS AND PROVIDING A WARM, SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR FAMILIES, MISSION KIDS STRIVES TO MINIMIZE THE SECONDARY TRAUMA FROM THE INTERVIEW PROCESS AND ALLOW HEALING TO BEGIN FOR THE YOUNG VICTIMS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY. MISSION KIDS IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE SAFETY NET WITHIN THE CHILD ABUSE PROCESS. OUR COMPREHENSIVE VICTIM ADVOCACY PROGRAM PROVIDES VICTIMS AND THEIR NON-OFFENDING CAREGIVERS WITH THE SUPPORT, INFORMATION AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES THEY NEED. MISSION KIDS' VICTIM ADVOCATES ASSIST THE FAMILIES IN SCHEDULING SPECIALIZED MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH EVALUATIONS. AT ALL TIMES, THE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF THE CHILDREN WE SERVE IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. MISSION KIDS IS A NON-PROFIT, CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION PROVIDING A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM RESPONSE TO ALLEGED VICTIMS OF SEXUAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE. MISSION KIDS IS NATIONALLY ACCREDITED BY THE NATIONAL CHILDREN'S ALLIANCE AND IS PART OF A NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF CHILD ADVOCACY CENTERS DESIGNED IN ACCORDANCE WITH STANDARDS ESTABLISHED BY THE NATIONAL CHILDREN'S ALLIANCE AND THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE A BROAD RANGE OF SUPPORT SERVICES TO CHILD VICTIMS OF ABUSE AND THEIR CAREGIVERS IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT ENCOURAGES HEALING AND FACILITATES SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION OF ALLEGED OFFENDERS.