Mission, Vision, & History | CAC Lincoln County

Mission STATEMENT

Children’s Advocacy Center of Lincoln County strives to reduce trauma to known and suspected child

abuse victims through effective evaluation, treatment, and advocacy in a secure, culturally sensitive,

healing environment while working to prevent child abuse in all of its forms.

In 1997 the Children's Advocacy Center opened following many years of planning and fundraising. Led

by the District Attorney, many community members and community agencies sought a way to better

deal with child abuse/neglect, and to remove the trauma for children and families during the

assessment and investigative process.

The planning group's vision sought to provide a site and specially trained professionals where children

and families would receive private, personalized attention. The Children's Advocacy Center was built to

provide a neutral, safe and child-friendly place where healing of abuse can begin. Designed more like a

home than an office, the setting and decor create a calm and caring atmosphere for victims and their

supporting caregivers.

In 1998 the Prevention Program, initially called Parent Partnerships, was implemented. In 2004 a

counseling center was added to the lower level of the Center which allowed expansion of counseling

services with interactive play therapy rooms.

STATISTICS:

The Children's Advocacy Center serves all Lincoln County residents at no cost to the family. Annually,

the Center sees approximately 200 individual cases of suspected child abuse. Services provided at the

center include forensic interview and medical exam for childrens suspected of having been abused or

neglected, advocacy services for all children, voluntary counseling services for children and families, and

prevention services for at-risk families throughout Lincoln County. Since opening in 1997, the Center

has provided services to over 2000 children and their families.