Child Advocacy Center Model in San Luis Obispo County
In April of 2018, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), awarded Center for Family Strengthening (CFS), a “ Child Advocacy Center Program ” grant with the goal of implementing a Child Advocacy Center model in San Luis Obispo County.
The Child Advocacy Center model promotes developing a comprehensive, coordinated, and culturally competent systems response from time of first disclosure through the investigation, prosecution, and treatment of child abuse cases by utilizing multidisciplinary teams (MDT) of professionals involved in child protective and victim advocacy services, law enforcement and prosecution, and physical and mental health.
The fundamental goals of this coordinated child abuse prevention system are to:
1) break the cycle of child abuse;
2) reduce systemic trauma to child victims;
3) improve investigations;
4) increase prosecution and convictions; and,
5) increase aftercare well-being of children and families.
