Child Advocacy Centers who pursue accreditation through the National Children’s Alliance invest months of effort and time toward the process. Sylvia’s CAC initially became accredited in 2021. Every five years, re-accreditation follows the same review process to ensure those standards are still being met or exceeded. Sylvia’s CAC has recently learned from the National Children’s Alliance that it has been reaccredited for another five years.
The reaccreditation recognizes adherence to rigorous national standards for responding to child abuse. More importantly, it provides the hundreds of families who visit Sylvia’s CAC each year and the community with assurance that the Center’s work reflects established best practices in child protection, victim advocacy, and trauma-informed care.
“Reaccreditation is an important milestone for our organization, but what matters most is what it represents for the children and families who come through our doors,” said Kassie Frazier, Executive Director of Sylvia’s Child Advocacy Center. “Every child deserves to be heard, believed, and supported by people who understand what they’re going through. This recognition reflects the dedication of our staff and community partners to making sure children receive the compassionate, coordinated response they deserve.”
Kim Olesker, Director of the Indiana Chapter of the National Children’s Alliance, emphasized the importance of the accountability accreditation represents:
“When a child experiences abuse, families deserve to know they are in the hands of a team committed to getting it right,” Olesker said. “We are proud that Sylvia’s CAC was reaccredited through the National Children’s Alliance. It means they have demonstrated commitment to high standards, coordinated care, and putting children’s needs first. For parents, it means confidence that their child will be treated with compassion and care. For communities, it means investing in a trusted, accountable response that helps children heal and holds those who harm them accountable.”
More about NCA Accreditation
National Children’s Alliance accreditation is more of an ongoing achievement than a one-time event. Accredited centers must undergo a comprehensive review every five years to demonstrate that they continue to meet national standards, which are periodically updated to reflect advances in research and evidence-based best practices for serving child victims of crime.
The process examines virtually every aspect of a Children’s Advocacy Center’s operations, from how the multidisciplinary team coordinates investigations to how children and families access services. It includes multiple layers of documentation, as well as virtual and in-person site visits from independent industry site reviewers.
NCA’s standards address multidisciplinary teamwork, forensic interviewing, victim advocacy, medical evaluation, mental health services, case coordination, organizational capacity, and child safety. Centers must demonstrate that they have established appropriate policies and procedures and that those practices are consistently implemented.
The evaluation includes extensive documentation and a site review, providing an independent assessment of how well a center fulfills its responsibilities.
Among Indiana’s 24 primary CACs, 11 are accredited with the National Children’s Alliance.