Support Child Advocacy Centers throughout Washington.
Children's Advocacy Centers Make a Difference
In 2006, researchers at the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire released findings from the five-year multi-site national evaluation of the CAC model. Data from over 1000 cases of sexual abuse handled by communities with and without a CAC were collected and subject to comparison analysis.
- CACs showed significantly more evidence of coordinated investigations.
- More children involved with a CAC received a specialized medical evaluation.
- More children involved in a CAC were referred to mental health services.
- Parents and caregivers of children served by CACs were more satisfied with the investigation (than those in comparison sample).
A recent national cost-benefit analysis of the Children’s Advocacy Center model shows that CACs save approximately $1,000 per case in services to children and families during the course of a child abuse investigation.
On a per-case basis, traditional investigations were 36% more expensive than a CAC investigation. The cost of a CAC investigation averaged $2,902 compared to $3,949 for a traditional abuse investigation.
For more information, visit Executive Summary: Findings from the NCAC Cost-Benefit Analysis of Community Responses to Child Maltreatment.
Children's Advocacy Centers of Washington
1800 Cooper Point Rd. SW #14
Olympia, WA 98502
Phone 360.753.3703 Toll-free 866.235.4716 FAX 360.705.8203
Email: director@cacwa.org