ACCREDITATION STANDARDS

The Child Advocacy Center at BestSelf (CAC) meets accreditation standards set by the National Children’s Alliance/NYS Office of Children and Family Services.

The CAC, is a National Children’s Alliance (NCA) accredited child advocacy center, and is also recognized as an official NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) child advocacy center.  As defined by NCA, the purpose of children’s advocacy centers is to provide a comprehensive, culturally competent, multidisciplinary team response to allegations of child abuse in a dedicated, child-friendly setting. A child appropriate/child-friendly setting and a multidisciplinary team are essential components for the status of an accredited membership in the National Children’s  Alliance as well as with OCFS. NCA and OCFS provide CACFL with program standards for the team response to allegations of child abuse.  All ten (10) standards must be achieved to be recognized as an NCA accredited child advocacy center. The same holds true for OCFS regarding achievement of the standards to be given approval as an official Child Advocacy Center, as per Social Services Law section  423-a(1).  

These components are provided by the MDT to promote a sense of safety and consistency to the child and family.

National Children's Alliance
Council on Accreditation

These standards include:

  • Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)
  • Cultural Competency and Diversity
  • Forensic interviews
  • Victim Support and Advocacy
  • Medical Evaluation
  • Mental Health
  • Case Review
  • Case Tracking
  • Organizational Capacity
  • Child-Focused Setting 

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