Our mission is to promote the safety, health, and emotional wellbeing of abused children and their caregivers by bringing together public, private, and community partners. Our vision is to lead our community in eliminating the suffering of abused children. Being a nationally recognized, united and multifaceted team of experts has lead us to the forefront of our cause.
We share one powerful goal: providing an environment in which the children who need us can feel protected, nurtured, and strengthened in their ability to heal from trauma.
How We Operate
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 have to divulge those experiences repeatedly to law enforcement and other professionals. An integral part of our core values is collaboration during forensic interviews with children. We then carry that standard throughout the investigation.
The CACSC pairs an Advocate with each family to help connect them to therapy and other local resources, and walk them through court processes they may be facing. While Advocates begin to provide a sense of stability, therapists are matched to the specific needs of the child and family. Childhood trauma can shape the mind in lifelong ways. By tending to the hearts and minds of children, we strive to provide lasting hope and champion the belief that everyone holds the power to overcome their trauma with knowledgeable and consistent support and guidance. Families leave our care with assurance that our doors are always open to them if they should ever need us.
Outreach and Education
Our dedication to children is matched only by our commitment to expanding public awareness about abuse, neglect, and trafficking. We know that if we are to decrease child abuse in our community, we have to increase support, awareness and education. That means taking every opportunity we can to have real conversations and cultivate relationships with members of our community. Knowing we are stronger together, we continually identify community partners who are involoved in services that can pair with or provide support to our own.
The CACSC online Education Academy is a new addition in 2020. Overseen by one of the most respected child abuse social workers in the state of Kansas, the Education Academy provides scheduled in-person learning opportunities, online training, fact sheets, resources, and internet safety guidelines. For more information on how you can get involved in outreach, please check out our Volunteer page or contact lchandler@cacsckansas.org.
Our History
Sedgwick County has been a national leader in child protection since the development of the Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit in 1985. As the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) concept was developed and studied, it became apparent that a multi-agency, multidisciplinary system was the most effective approach to child abuse investigations and treatment. Leaders from the community and our partner agencies created a task force which took the lead in developing plans for our center.
Visits were made to CACs across the country, providing guidance on best practices and efficient use of space, while research within our community provided ideas about effective and practical locations in the city. Partner agencies committed to memorandums of agreement and the CACSC was moving forward. The building was purchased, renovated, and in 2016 became the home of the Child Advocacy Center of Sedgwick County. Just three short years later our team has grown exponentially and served over 2,000 children in 2019 alone.
