1994 → Community task force began meeting to find a better way to serve children involved in child abuse investigations and their families.

1996 → Task force recommended establishing a Center where teams would provide children and families coordinated services in a child-friendly setting.

This recommendation became a reality when the Larimer County Child Advocacy Center (LCCAC), a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, first opened in a small house on West Myrtle in Fort Collins. The new non-profit staffed one Forensic Interviewer that also doubled as the Family Advocate.

1998 → The LCCAC is fully accredited by the National Children’s Alliance, the national parent organization of the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) network and advocate for the CAC model.

2002 → The LCCAC put on their first annual Bocce Ball Fundraiser, the largest fundraising event of the year for the agency.

The LCCAC moves to a larger house on South Timberline to accommodate the growing need for space. The agency still resides at this location, a registered Historic/Landmark property, the Gills/Nelson Farm.

2007 → The LCCAC begins in-school abuse prevention training for elementary students, based on Second Step, an evidence-supported curriculum developed by the Committee for Children. The version customized for the local community is named Safety Smarts.

2012 → To respond to the growing number of child abuse investigations, LCCAC expanded its staff to include a second forensic interviewer. The LCCAC at this point also has one full-time Family Advocate and a part-time family advocate.

2015 → A new referral process begins in January to assist children and their non-offending caregivers access mental health, counseling, and medical resources within the community.

To increase community awareness and counter the assumption by residents that the organization was tax-funded, LCCAC changes its name to Voices Carry Child Advocacy Center (VCCAC).

2018 → VCCAC pilots a new, innovative version of Safety Smarts customized for the learning needs of children on the autism spectrum and those with similar learning needs.

2020 → The COVID-19 pandemic causes schools to shut down, suspending the Safety Smarts program. In response, VCCAC modifies the curriculum to be delivered online. Forensic interviews and advocacy services continue uninterrupted.

2021 → VCCAC achieves reaccreditation through the NCA. It updates its mission statement to include prevention training and to clarify the work and goals of the organization.

2022 → In recognition of Dr. Deborah Crawford’s crucial role in establishing and supporting the CAC, and for her extraordinary work as a pediatrician specializing in child abuse, VCCAC is renamed the Crawford Child Advocacy Center (CCAC).