What we do
An accredited chapter of the National Children’s Alliance, The North Central Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center is a membership organization consisting of local child advocacy centers throughout the state. Our goal is to put the needs of the child first by bringing together all services under one umbrella. Our multidisciplinary teams include law enforcement, child protection, prosecution, mental and/or medical health, victim and child advocacy. They work together to streamline the process of child abuse situations and make team decisions about investigation, treatment, management and prosecution of child abuse cases.
Our Story
The North Central Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center (NCMCAC) was established in 2003 due to the lack of services and resources available to meeting the needs of child abuse victims and their families when going through an investigation and judicial process.
Prior to 2003, the system required child victims to be exposed to multiple interviews about the abuse they experienced by the various involved agencies exposing them to further trauma. Children were being re-victimized by a system designed for adults and families were left with nowhere to turn for information, assistance or support with the closest services over 75 miles away.
A former Director of the Northwest Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center in St. Joseph, Missouri, met with local government officials from the City of Trenton at their request and formed a team of supportive interested agencies consisting of law enforcement, the prosecuting attorney, juvenile officer, county health department, hospital, mental health professionals, and a school representative. With the help of volunteers, much community support, and the assistance of a grant through National Children’s Alliance, the North Central Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center began conducting interviews. In 2010, the Center become an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit and purchased its own building to better suit the services provided as a result of a Rural Development Grant and a supportive project funder.
The North Central Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center (NCMCAC) serves the following underserved rural counties of Caldwell, Carroll, Daviess, Grundy, Harrison, Linn, Livingston, Mercer, Putnam and Sullivan. The location operation is centrally located amidst these counties in Trenton, Missouri, and interviews approximately 200 children annually. The Center is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of business/community leaders and members who are core to child abuse investigations or child well-being. NCMCAC was first accredited by National Children’s Alliance in 2004 and re-accredited every 5 years thereafter to date. It is a member of the Missouri Network Against Child Abuse, working with other agencies across the state targeting child well-being. NCMCAC is dedicated to providing comprehensive, culturally competent services to child victims of abuse, and to include these services to the non-offending caretakers.
Our Mission
The mission of the North Central Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center is to reduce the traumatic long-term effects of child abuse on children, their families and communities through coordinated, child-focused services, education and advocacy.
Our Purpose
- To support the development, growth and continuation of child advocacy centers in Missouri
- To promote system improvements for abused and neglected children utilizing education and advocacy campaigns and partnerships to improve government relations
- To initiate and maintain statewide public education programs on benefits of collaborative approaches to the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect
- To support the education of the public, the legislature and the courts in Missouri regarding the status and needs of abused children
- To identify and coordinate funding opportunities for child advocacy centers
- To promote the growth and continuation of the multidisciplinary team approach to intervention in child abuse cases
- To promote and support the implementation of Child First Protocol and National Children’s Alliance Standards within Missouri institutions of higher learning.
- To offer real-world simulation training through Missouri Kids First that provides a diverse and effective learning experience to support a profession in the child advocacy field and statewide workforce development.