PRESS RELEASE:
NORTHEAST TEXAS CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER EARNS RE-ACCREDITATION FROM NATIONAL CHILDREN’S ALLIANCE
National Children’s Alliance recognizes Northeast Texas Child Advocacy Center for its ongoing delivery of high quality and effective services to child abuse victims through accreditation
WINNSBORO (January 5, 2021) – Northeast Texas Child Advocacy Center (NETCAC) has been awarded re-accreditation by National Children’s Alliance following an extensive application and site review process. As the accrediting agency for Children’s Advocacy Centers (CAC) across the country, National Children’s Alliance awards various levels of accreditation and membership to centers responding to allegations of child abuse in ways that are effective and efficient, and put the needs of child victims of abuse first. Accreditation is the highest level of membership with the National Children’s Alliance and denotes excellence in service provision.
Accredited CACs must undergo a re-accreditation process every five years to ensure that best practices are continually being applied. With accreditation standards being updated in 2010, re-accreditation this year reflects NETCAC’s commitment to providing evidence-based methods practice.
The NETCAC was established in 1998 and has interviewed over 9,600 children since its inception. The NETCAC offers a safe child-friendly environment to children, between the ages of 2-17 who allegedly have been sexually or severely physically abused or have been a witness to a violent crime. The NETCAC serves the counties of Camp, Delta, Franklin, Hopkins, Rains, Titus, Upshur, and Wood. As an Accredited Member of the National Children’s Alliance, NETCAC is dedicated to providing comprehensive, coordinated, and compassionate services to victims of child abuse.
National Children’s Alliance awards Accredited Membership based on a CAC’s compliance with 10 national standards of accreditation to ensure effective, efficient, and consistent delivery of services to child abuse victims. Accredited Members must utilize a functioning and effective Multidisciplinary Team approach to work collaboratively in child abuse investigation, prosecution, and treatment. National Children’s Alliance also considers standards regarding a center’s cultural competency and diversity, forensic interviews, victim support and advocacy, medical evaluation, therapeutic intervention, and child-focused setting.
“As an organization/team of individuals dedicated to responding to child abuse, we recognize the importance of maintaining Accredited status from the National Children’s Alliance. Re-accreditation not only validates our organization’s dedication to proven effective approaches of child abuse intervention and prevention but also contributes to consistency across the child advocacy center movement as a whole,” said Imelda Tatsch, Executive Director.
“The Northeast Texas Child Advocacy Center is to be commended for its continued commitment to effectively serve victims of child abuse. As the national association and accrediting body for Children’s Advocacy Centers across the country, our goal is to ensure that every victim of child abuse has access to high-quality services that result from the professional collaboration. By requiring Accredited Centers to undergo re-Accreditation every five years, we ensure that evidence-based practices are being implemented and the highest quality of service is being provided,” remarked Teresa Huizar, Executive Director of National Children’s Alliance.
Our mission of “Breaking the Cycle of Abuse, One Child at a Time!”, with community support, is accomplished through the commitment of a cooperative partnership of law enforcement, legal services, child protective services, medical services, and therapeutic care providers. The children who come to the NETCAC are allowed to tell their experiences in a non-leading way to a trained forensic interviewer rather than having to repeat it multiple times to multiple agencies involved in the investigation and prosecution, therefore reducing the trauma to the child.
The NETCAC meets the standards and criteria set by the National Children’s Alliance.
National Children’s Alliance is the national association and accrediting body for the 777 Children’s Advocacy Centers and 49 State Chapters serving each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Dedicated to helping local communities respond to allegations of child abuse in ways that are effective and efficient, and put the needs of child victims of abuse first, National Children’s Alliance provides support and advocacy to its accredited membership, as well as numerous developing centers, multidisciplinary teams and child abuse professionals around the country, and the world. As the national authority on multidisciplinary approaches to supporting child victims of abuse, the purpose of the National Children’s Alliance is to empower local communities to provide comprehensive, coordinated, and compassionate services to victims of child abuse. Founded in 1990, National Children’s Alliance provides accreditation opportunities, financial assistance, training, technical assistance, research and education to communities, child abuse professionals, and children’s advocacy centers throughout the United States in support of child abuse intervention, advocacy, and prevention.
