January 29, 2024 | By Emilie Jacques
The Houghton Keweenaw Child Advocacy Center (CAC), an institution within Copper Shores Victim Support dedicated to providing support and resources for children who are victims of sexual assault and physical abuse, has been granted accreditation by National Children’s Alliance (NCA). The Houghton Keweenaw CAC is the first CAC in the U.P. to receive accreditation from the NCA. This significant achievement underscores the center's commitment to excellence in serving some of the most vulnerable members of our community.
“This good news has been a long-time coming,” Copper Shores Victim Support Program Director Virginia Lambert said. “We are very grateful to receive the news from the NCA. We have been working toward this for more than two and a half years.”
The accreditation process involved a thorough and rigorous evaluation of the center's operations, staff qualifications, program effectiveness and adherence to best practices in child advocacy. By meeting the stringent criteria set by the NCA, the Houghton Keweenaw CAC has demonstrated its unwavering dedication to maintaining the highest standards in addressing the complex issues surrounding child sexual and physical abuse and ensuring the well-being of the children it serves.
Child advocacy centers are an important part of child sexual and physical abuse investigations, with a focus on minimizing trauma to the child during the process. They bring together a multidisciplinary team of professionals involved in child protective and victim advocacy services, including law enforcement and prosecution, and physical and mental health providers.
The NCA is a Washington D.C.-based organization dedicated to eradicating child abuse. The collected National Standards of Accreditation for Children’s Advocacy Centers, comprising 10 individual standards and representing the work of more than 130 child abuse intervention professionals and experts working from the latest research, are the benchmarks by which Accredited Members of NCA are measured.
Moving forward, the CAC must be reaccredited every five years to maintain, something that takes both time and money to complete.
“The training we attend is specific and intensive, but allows us to do our jobs as best as possible,” explained Lambert. “This accreditation reflects the hard work that the team and I have put in over the years.”
Learn more about the CAC at coppershores.org/child-advocacy-center.
