In this publication, the Native Child Advocacy Resource Center (NCARC) presents answers to questions asked of Directors of Child Advocacy Centers (CACs).
Native Child Advocacy Resource Center (NCARC) staff recently reached out to the directors of Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) to interview them about topics that may be interest to others interested in developing accredited CACs in their communities. The directors interviewed are from CACs operated by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes (Montana), the Oglala Sioux Tribe (South Dakota), the Puyallup Tribe (Washington), the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community (Arizona), and the Tulalip Tribes (Washington). Each of these CACs has either successfully completed the National Children’s Alliance accreditation process or is currently seeking accreditation. The responses have also been edited for clarity and length. In working with Tribal CACs and Native Nations, NCARC has observed that some of the most meaningful learning occurs in peer-to-peer contexts. Stakeholders attempting to form a new Tribally operated multidisciplinary team (MDT), or MDT leaders interested in developing a CAC, want to hear from others who have accomplished these goals before them. While every Tribal community is different, and while the National Children’s Alliance accreditation model is standardized, many stakeholders attempting to develop or enhance the multidisciplinary response to child maltreatment in Indian Country face similar issues.