About Us

Children’s Advocacy Centers of VA is an Accredited Chapter through National Children's Alliance 

Misson

CACVA collaborates to create a community-based framework that promotes the best and highest response whenever a child experiences abuse.

Vision

All children are hopeful, healthy and free of abuse.

Values

Service oriented
Child focused
Systems aware

CACVA is a membership organization dedicated to helping local communities respond to child maltreatment in ways that are effective and efficient, and most important of all, ensuring that the child victim's needs are met. Formed in 2002, CACVA provides support, technical assistance, and training for Virginia’s CACs and serves as a resource for communities looking to develop CACs or MDTs.

Our member Children’s Advocacy Centers:

  • Virginia has 19 CACs and 5 satellites in communities throughout Virginia
  • 15 centers are accredited through the National Children’s Alliance
  • 6,248 children were seen at CACs in 2019
  • CACs in Virginia provided 5,407 child forensic interviews

A children’s advocacy center is a child-friendly facility in which law enforcement, child protection, prosecution, mental health, medical and victim advocacy professionals work together to investigate abuse, help children heal from abuse, and hold offenders accountable.

HOW THE CAC MODEL WORKS

Chapter Membership benefits:

Networking/Communication
·       Quarterly Network meetings and calls
·       Coordination of information exchange
·       Connection and coordination of information from NCA, SRCAC and others
·       Create awareness among professionals and communities about CAC’s

Technical Support/Assistance
·       Guidance in program development and enhancement to meet accreditation standards
·       NCA Accreditation/Re-accreditation assistance and support resources
·       Support in service area expansion or new CAC development
·       Support in developing operational policies or procedures for organization efficiency and effectiveness
·       OMS coordination and support
·       Consultation for issues such as:
o   Team development/problem solving
o   Board development/concerns
o   Crisis management

Training
·       Annual conference
·       ChildFirst
·       Topic specific trainings such as MDT, CF updates, etc.
·       Regional FI Peer Review
·       New Director orientation

Advocacy and Awareness
·       State level legislative representation, liaison, and bill monitoring
·       Representation of CAC’s to other state agencies
·       Promotion of CAC’s through website based directory

Grant Administration
·       NCA Grant administration for accredited centers

CACVA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization governed by a Board of Directors.  CACVA office is located in Roanoke, VA and can be reached at 276-644-3371 or P.O. Box 4651 , Roanoke, VA 24015.