The Child Advocacy Center of Northeast MO

Our Services:

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM

The Child Advocacy Center functions as part of a Multi-disciplinary Team (MDT) with partners in each of the 14 Missouri counties. Members of the MDT may include members of Law Enforcement, Children’s Division workers, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Juvenile Justice Center staff, Medical SAFE providers, child and family advocates, mental health therapists, and Child Advocacy Center staff.

Each agency or professional on the MDT has a specific role in the investigation. The Forensic Interviewer is also a member of the MDT; however, the Forensic Interviewer serves as a neutral participant.

The purpose of MDT involvement for all interviews is to assure that the unique needs of children are recognized and met. Informed decision-making occurs at all stages of the case so that children and families benefit from a coordinated response.

The Facts

In 2023, we provided sexual abuse prevention education to 51,562 children
In 2023, 1,142 children received forensic interviews about alleged abuse.
In 2023, 766 of our forensic interviews involved sexual abuse
60% of child sexual abuse victims never tell.
90% of child sexual abuse is by someone the child likes, loves, or lives with.
1 in 10 children will be sexually abused before the age of 18.
Nearly 700,000 children are abused in the U.S. each year.
Sex offenders are 3.5x more likely to confess if a child has had a forensic interview and disclosed at a child advocacy center