MISSION STATEMENT
The mission statement for North Central Kansas CASA, the umbrella agency for Hope's Place Child Advocacy Center, is to improve the quality of children's lives & strengthen families through education, support and advocacy.
The Child Advocacy Center strives to provide quality intervention, investigation and prosecution.
Services Provided at Hope's Place CAC
A Child Advocacy Center (CAC) is a child friendly environment where Law Enforcement and/or DCF can send children and mentally disabled adults to have a forensic interview. The time when a child would need a forensic interview is when they have been physically abused or neglected, sexually abused, or sexually assaulted.
What is a Forensic Interview?
Disclosing abuse takes courage. Ninety percent of abusers are either related or well known to the victim. Children are often fearful of what will happen if they tell someone about their experiences, so it can be very overwhelming to divulge those experiences repeatedly to law enforcement and other professionals.
A forensic interview is a child's recorded statement conducted by a specially trained professional regarding allegations of abuse. The goal of the forensic interview is to gather factual information from a child in a neutral, kid-friendly setting by asking non-leading questions. The forensic interviewer is specially trained to speak with children of various ages and developmental needs.
At Hope's Place CAC it can lessen the trauma when the child shares their story. The forensic interview process allows partner agencies, such as law enforcement and DCF to observe the interview as it is being conducted. This helps alleviate the child being questioned numerous times by multiple people.
What is a Family Advocate?
Our family advocates provide continued support to families throughout their experience, as well as offer assistance with a variety of services, including:
- Helping families navigate the investigative process and understanding their rights.
- Assisting families in gaining access to local resources.
- Answering questions, providing support, and giving up-to-date information.
- Helping families navigate access to Crime Victim's Compensation (CVC) and Victim Information Notification Everyday (VINE).