Children's Advocacy Centers of Michigan

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The Children's Advocacy Centers of Michigan (CACMI) is a network of Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) throughout the state. CACMI supports the work of CACs through technical assistance, training, and advocacy, and promotion.

What is a CAC?

A CAC is the best-practice model for investigating allegations of significant child abuse as well as supporting children and their non-offending family members through trauma-informed supports and interventions.

To understand what a CAC is, you must understand what children face without one. Without a CAC, the child may end up having to tell their story over and over again, to doctors, police officers, investigators, therapists, and others. They may have to talk about that traumatic experience in a police station where they think they may be in trouble, or may be asked the wrong question by well-meaning teacher or other adult that could hurt the case against the alleged abuser.

When police or child protective services believes a child may have been abused, the child is brought to the CAC—a neutral, kid-friendly space—by a caregiver or other "safe" adult. At the CAC, the child tells their story only once, and to a trained interviewer who knows the right questions to ask in a way that may test other explanations as well as not retraumatize the child. The team (e.g., local prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, and protective services) are able to observe this interview in another room at the CAC. Based on the outcome of the interview with the child, the team of investigators determine the next steps forward. This multi-disciplinary approach is a key component of a CAC. It helps to ensure a collaborative response to child abuse allegations and addresses the on-going, wholistic needs of the child and their non-offending family members.

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