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Child Advocacy Center

For Parents
For Referral Sources and Professionals
Reporting Abuse

Child Advocacy Center: Information for Referral Sources and Professionals

A Child Advocacy Center (CAC) provides a safe, child-friendly environment for interviews and medical evaluations for children and their families who may have experienced sexual abuse, physical abuse, sexual exploitation or witnessed a violent crime. Historically, children who were victims of abuse were shuffled from agency to agency.

Today, the CAC model brings the system to the child. The Central Minnesota Child Advocacy Center, located in Sartell, offers a “one-stop approach” to children and their families. The multidisciplinary team includes: law enforcement officers, victims’ advocates, medical providers, mental health professionals, prosecuting attorneys and child protection workers.

Learn more about how the CAC is working to make the process better for kids who need help for abuse. Download the following handout. (PDF)

For more helpful information, view our Reporting Abuse page.

Statistics

Local Level:

In 2017, Stearns County Human Services received 2021 reports of child maltreatment.
In the same year, Benton County received 775 reports of child maltreatment. Of those, 120 involved an allegation of sexual abuse.

State Level:

In 2016, Child Protection agencies in Minnesota received 75,624 reports of child maltreatment. This is a 11% increase in one year (compared to 2015).
These reports involved 4,966 victims of child sexual abuse, 16,109 victims of physical abuse, and 24,185 victims of neglect.

National Level:

1 in 10 children will be sexually abused by age 18.
There are 42 million survivors of child sexual abuse in the United States.
90% of abused children know their abuser.

Resources

Minnesota Child Abuse Network Assessment for Physical Abuse (PDF)
Minnesota Children's Alliance
Phone Numbers to Call to Make Mandated Reports
- Stearns County Human Services, 320-656-6000
- Benton County Human Services, 320-968-5087
- Sherburne County Human Services, 763-241-2600
Midwest Regional Child Advocacy Center

Handouts

Mandated Report Card (PDF)
Sexual Exploitation Warning Signs (PDF)

Upcoming Events

Pockets of Hope Fundraiser

Upcoming & Ongoing Training

Ongoing Training:

Youth Intervention Programs Association
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
PESI (In-Person and Online Webinars)
National Criminal Justice Training Center
Darkness to Light's Stewards of Children^® Training — Preventing Child Sexual Abuse (FREE with entering code FLIPSWITCH)

For More Information

Contact the Child Advocacy Center at 320-229-5105.

Mailing Address:

Central Minnesota Child Advocacy Center
166 19th St. S, Ste. 202
Sartell, MN 56377

Finding a Child Advocacy Center

For information regarding any of Minnesota’s Child Advocacy Center’s, please visit the Minnesota Children’s Alliance website.

Recently Featured on "Your Health"

Cheyenne Orcutt, BS, LADC of the Central Minnesota Child Advocacy Center was recently interviewed on KNSI's weekly "Your Health" show. She discusses what the Child Advocacy Center is and what they do. You will learn what to do if a child is abused or neglected and how you, as a parent, can protect your child from abuse.

Listen to the full interview