Childhelp Children’s Center of Virginia

A Beacon of Hope

In 2002, the Childhelp Children’s Center of Virginia (CCCV) began aiding victims of child abuse and neglect with the determination to make treatment and investigation the most comfortable and nonthreatening process for the children whose lives, so far, have been subjected to anxiety and intimidation. Accordingly, the CCCV provides services from treatment and investigation, to family support and therapy under one roof through the collaboration of medical personnel, law enforcement, child protection investigators, victim services and mental health professionals.

As further validation of the need for advocacy centers, last year children were involved in almost 6,500 substantiated cases of child abuse in Virginia.

Steps to Success

The staff at the CCCV have one main priority: offering each child a sense of safety while assisting them through a stressful process, thus aiding their ability to mentally and physically recover from their abuse. To ensure that each child has a positive experience at the center and does not encounter any more trauma, a family advocate is available to the child to walk them through the process.

The first stop each child makes is to talk with a forensic interviewer while their statement is taped so they don’t have to tell their stories repeatedly during the investigation process. The next stop children make with their family advocate is a medical exam to check the child’s health as a result of abuse or neglect and to gather any evidence of physical and/or sexual abuse. The collaborative investigation procedures add to the validity of cases against the abuser and ensure that each child does not become further distressed as a result of the investigation.

A unique feature to the CCCV is the extensive mental health department that treats each child separately with trauma focused therapy that identifies their needs. The most fundamental role of the CCCV staff is to take every step to ensure success with each victim of abuse from interviews and medical exams, to therapy and safe placement and, finally, to court preparation.