About the Washoe County Child Advocacy Center
Over 900 Child Advocacy Centers serve families in the United States today. The Washoe County CAC was developed in 2014 to meet the growing needs of children and families in Northern Nevada and outlying areas.
- As reported in 2014, an estimated 702,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect nationwide
- 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys are victims of child sexual abuse
- Children are most vulnerable between the ages of 7 and 13
- Over the course of their lifetime, 28% of U.S. youth ages 14 to 17 had been sexually victimized (Finkelhor, Director of Crimes Against Children Research Center)
- Approximately 14% of women and 27% of men with a history of childhood sexual abuse have some degree of drug dependence, compared to 5% of women and 9% of men with no history
The Washoe County CAC provides many services to children of abuse and their non-offending families, including, but not limited to:
- Facilitating a collaborative response to child abuse through the use of a MDT
- Conducting forensic interviews of children
- Advocating for victims of child abuse and their non-offending caregivers
- Offering on-site mental health counseling to victims and families
- Providing acute and non-acute medical examinations for sexual assault and child abuse victims
What happens when abuse at Washoe County CAC is reported?
