The purpose of Children's Advocacy Centers is to provide a comprehensive, culturally competent, multidisciplinary team response to allegations of child abuse in a dedicated, child-friendly setting. A child appropriate/child-friendly setting and a multidisciplinary team are essential for accomplishment of the mission of Children's Advocacy Centers and for accredited membership in National Children's Alliance.

The team response to allegations of child abuse includes forensic interviews, medical evaluations, therapeutic intervention, victim support/advocacy, case review, and case tracking. These components may be provided by Children's Advocacy Center staff or by other members of the multidisciplinary team. To the maximum extent possible, components of the team response are provided at the CAC (Children's Advocacy Center) in order to promote a sense of safety and consistency to the child and family.

The following program components are necessary for accredited membership in National Children's Alliance:

1. Child-Appropriate/Child-Friendly Facility
2. Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)
3. Organizational Capacity
4. Cultural Competency and Diversity
5. Forensic Interviews
6. Medical Evaluation
7. Therapeutic Intervention
8. Victim Support/Advocacy
9. Case Review
10. Case Tracking

Each of these is explained in detail in the document you may download below.