The national childrens advocacy center proposes to continue delivering strategic training, technical assistance, and resources to state chapters, childrens advocacy centers, and multidisciplinary…

The Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded a $1,175,000 cooperative agreement to National Children's Advocacy Center, Inc. on October 1, 2025, under the Improving the Investigation and Prosecution of Child Abuse and the Regional and Local Children's Advocacy Centers program (CFDA 16.758).

The award funds continuation of the Southern Regional Children's Advocacy Center Program, which delivers strategic training, technical assistance, and resources to state chapters, children's advocacy centers, and multidisciplinary teams across seventeen states in the Southern Federal Census Region. Program activities focus on five key areas: chapter development, multidisciplinary team support, children's advocacy center advancement, strategic communications, and cross-program collaboration with regional children's advocacy centers and Victims of Child Abuse Act partners. The work strengthens organizational capacity of state chapters to deliver consistent training and technical assistance to local centers and multidisciplinary teams; enhances the ability of multidisciplinary teams to provide safety, justice, and healing for children and families; supports professional development for direct service personnel and ensures access for tribal communities; employs strategic communications to improve awareness and accessibility of resources; and strengthens coordination among regional entities and VOCA partners to maximize impact and efficiency.

National Children's Advocacy Center is a tax-exempt nonprofit based in Huntsville, Alabama. The period of performance runs through September 30, 2026, with place of performance at Huntsville, Alabama. The obligated amount is $1,175,000.

The national childrens advocacy center proposes to continue delivering strategic training, technical assistance, and resources to state chapters, childrens advocacy centers, and multidisciplinary teams across the southern federal census region through its southern regional childrens advocacy center program. Grounded in recent research, data analysis, collaborative planning, and a comprehensive needs assessment, the program will focus its efforts across five key areas: chapter development, multidisciplinary team support, childrens advocacy center advancement, strategic communications, and cross-program collaboration with regional childrens advocacy centers and victims of child abuse act partners. Project goals include the following: strengthen the organizational capacity of state chapters to deliver consistent, accessible training and technical assistance to local childrens advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams; enhance the ability of multidisciplinary teams to provide safety, justice, and healing for children and families, while supporting facilitators and developing collaborative multimodal teams to lead and sustain effective responses; support professional development for direct service personnel, enhance access for tribal communities, and ensure access to essential training, resources, and publications; employ strategic communications to improve awareness and accessibility of resources across the region; and strengthen coordination among regional childrens advocacy centers and victims of child abuse act partners to maximize impact and efficiency. All activities are designed to be coordinated, strategic, and responsive to identified needs, with a commitment to the values of scale, impact, need, outcomes, and an evidence-informed approach. The program will work in alignment with victims of child abuse act grantees to ensure efforts are complementary and effective. Expected outcomes include improved multidisciplinary team functioning, enhanced professional competencies among childrens advocacy center and chapter staff, reduced isolation, and increased access to high-quality resources and support.