The native child advocacy resource center at the university of montana will provide training and technical assistance at a national level to tribal child advocacy centers, tribal multidisciplinary…

The Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded the University of Montana a $700,000 cooperative agreement 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 University of Montana's Native Child Advocacy Resource Center will provide training and technical assistance at the national level to tribal child advocacy centers, tribal multidisciplinary teams, state chapter child advocacy centers, non-tribal child advocacy centers, and other tribal community champions as they develop, improve, or expand child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary responses to child abuse cases in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The center will systematically collaborate with Victims of Child Abuse Act partners to assess needs, leverage assets, coordinate training and technical assistance, and support strategic planning. It will deliver customized training and technical assistance tailored to recipient capacity and need, and develop or adapt curricula, resources, and products to support tribal development of child advocacy center capacity and non-tribal enhancement of services to American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Expected deliverables include increased understanding of training and technical assistance needs in these communities, increased ability of Victims of Child Abuse Act partners to meet those needs, increased capacity to develop tribally-operated child advocacy centers, and enhanced cultural responsiveness of non-tribal child advocacy centers serving American Indian and Alaska Native populations.

Performance occurs in Missoula, Montana, with a period of performance from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026.

The native child advocacy resource center at the university of montana will provide training and technical assistance at a national level to tribal child advocacy centers, tribal multidisciplinary teams, state chapter child advocacy centers, non-tribal child advocacy centers, and other tribal community champions as they develop, improve, or expand child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary responses to child abuse cases in american indian and alaska native communities. The centers project involves implementing three goals: 1) collaborate systematically with victims of child abuse act partners, including tribal and regional advocacy center partners, to assess needs, leverage assets and capabilities efficiently, coordinate the training and technical assistance approach to tribes and non-tribal child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams, and support strategic planning; 2) deliver systematic, coordinated, customized training and technical assistance to child advocacy centers, multidisciplinary teams, state chapters, and tribal community groups, tailored according to need and capacity; and 3) develop and/or adapt curricula, resources, and products to support tribes in developing child advocacy center and multidisciplinary team capacity and non-tribal child advocacy centers, multidisciplinary teams and state chapters in enhancing services to american indian/alaska native communities. Expected outcomes and deliverables include increased understanding of the training and technical assistance needs of american indian/alaska native communities related to the multidisciplinary response to child abuse and the child advocacy center model; increased ability the victims of child abuse act parters to meet these needs and advance the child advocacy center movement in american indian/alaska native communities; increased interest and capacity in these communities to develop tribally-operated child advocacy centers; increased cultural responsiveness of non-tribal child advocacy centers that serve american indian/alaska native children and families; the ongoing compilation of a hub of curricula, resources, and information on child advocacy centers in american indian/alaska native communities; increased numbers of tribally operated child advocacy centers that are accredited by the national childrens alliance or pursuing accreditation; and increased numbers of american indian/alaska native children being served by accredited child advocacy centers.