What is Voices Carry Child Advocacy Center?
Voices Carry Child Advocacy Center is a safe place for children and families when there are concerns about child abuse or emotional trauma. Voices Carry provides proven child abuse prevention, victim support, family advocacy and forensic interviews through a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach. As the only agency accredited by the National Children’s Alliance that serves Larimer and Jackson counties, we minimize additional trauma by bringing the team of experts to the child and family.
Our mission is to prevent and respond to abuse and victimization through proven child-centered methods, professional forensic interviews, and collaborative advocacy.
Our vision is to eliminate the harm caused by child abuse.
What is Voices Carry Child Advocacy Center?
- We provide a child-friendly and family-friendly environment.
- The child does not have to travel to different agencies (law enforcement, Child Protective Services, the District Attorney’s Office, etc.) and re-tell their story multiple times, limiting the possibility of re-traumatizing the victim.
- Child victims and non-offending caregivers receive immediate crisis intervention and referrals for various services.
- A multidisciplinary approach brings together child protection staff, law enforcement, and CAC professionals for coordinated investigations, improving communication and data collection, which in turn improves outcomes.
- Using the CAC saves an average of $1,000 per child abuse case, compared with the old approach to investigation and prosecution.
- We help prevent child abuse. Our Safety Smarts program teaches students K-4 to recognize, refuse, and report attempts to touch them in an unsafe way. We are currently in 27 area elementary schools and teach thousands of kids each year, including those with developmental or cognitive delays.
Voices Carry Child Advocacy Center History
In 1994, a community task force looked to find a better way to serve children involved in child abuse investigations and their families. After years of research, the group recommended establishing a center where teams would provide children and families coordinated services in a child-friendly setting. In January of 1997, their recommendation became a reality when the Larimer County Child Advocacy Center first opened its doors in a small house on West Myrtle Street in Fort Collins. In 2004, we moved to our current location on South Timberline Road. Our center is housed in a former farmhouse built in 1890, which is included on the list of Fort Collins Historic/Landmark Properties as the Gill/Nelson Farm. In April 2016, Larimer County Child Advocacy Center officially changed its name to Voices Carry Child Advocacy Center.
Forensic Interviews performed for Child Victims of Abuse
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Family Members Supported Through Advocacy
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Students Trained in Abuse Prevention (2018-2019 School Year)
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