Press release
ATHENS – The Henderson County HELP Center has been awarded the National Accreditation for Children’s Advocacy Centers by the National Children’s Alliance following an extensive application and site review process. Accreditation is the highest level of membership with National Children’s Alliance and denotes excellence in service provision. As an accredited Children’s Advocacy Center, Henderson County HELP Center has been recognized for providing Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) services and Multidisciplinary Teams (MDTs) with the resources they need to consistently offer unique and vital services to child victims of abuse and their families; and for serving as the voice for all CACs in Texas.
The Henderson County HELP Centers Children’s Advocacy Center has been assisting children of abuse and neglect since 1999 and was accredited in 2001 with the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas. The Center helps support the efforts of 14 law enforcement agencies, Child Protractive Services and the County and District Attorneys’ Offices with supportive services for children that suffer the most horrendous crimes of abuse and neglect. Since its creation the Center has served over 7000 victims of child abuse and neglect.
National Children’s Alliance awards Accredited Membership based on a Chapter’s compliance with three national standards of accreditation to ensure effective, efficient and consistent delivery of services to CACs and Multidisciplinary Teams (MDT) within their respective states. National Children’s Alliance developed and implemented these standards in 2008. There are currently 48 State and Native American Chapters operating across the nation.
“In Henderson County, we want our child victims for become victors over their abuse and without the efforts of the dedicated staff at the HELP Center these child victims would not receive the services to heal and thrive. As an organization dedicated to ensuring the sustainability of the CAC model, we recognize the importance of accreditation from National Children’s Alliance and supporting the MDT approach. Accreditation not only validates our organization’s proven effective approach to support of local centers and teams responding to allegations of child abuse, but also
contributes to consistency across the child advocacy center movement as a whole,” said Leslie Saunders, Executive Director, Henderson County HELP Center.
“Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas is to be commended for its excellent work providing a statewide network supporting the continued work of local CACs and MDTs ensuring effective treatment for child victims throughout Texas. As the national association and accrediting body for Children’s Advocacy Centers and State Chapters across the country, our goal is to ensure that every victim of child abuse has access to high quality services that result from professional collaboration – and that every CAC receives relevant, timely support services from their State Chapter to continue this important work,” remarked Teresa Huizar, Executive Director of National Children’s Alliance.
For more information about the Henderson County HELP Center, visit www.thehelpcenter.or
In Texas 1 in 4 girls and 1-6 boys are abused or neglected. In Henderson County we want to make sure that these child victims receive every service needed to heal. Without the HELP of the Center and the Child Advocacy Center, these child victims and their non-offending caregivers may fall through the cracks of abuse.
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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 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.