WHO CACS SERVE There are 70 childrens advocacy centers WHAT IS A CAC?

in the state of Texas serving over 43,000

children each year.
43,000 Texas Children in 2016 Childrens Advocacy Improving Texas response to child abuse:
Centers in Texas A true public-private partnership
A victim-centered, multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach to the investigation
and prosecution of child abuse cases, providing specialized forensic interviews,
therapeutic recovery services, medical evaluations, and case management.
The Crisis Center

Multi-
Disciplinary
Team
Coordination

Child-
Forensic
Friendly
Interviews
Facility

34% 66% 70 CACs serving over

Male Female Cooke County Family Crisis Center

24 HR HOTLINE
940 - 665 - 2873
43,000
children in Texas
Family Trauma-
There are 70 childrens advocacy centers in the state of Texas serving over 43,000 children each year. Advocacy Focused
Mental
and Victim Health
Support Services

Ages Served: Types of Abuse:

Specialized
1% CACs in Texas Statute Medical
18+ 71% sexual abuse
Evaluations

14% physical abuse Texas Family Code Section 264.401-411: defines CACs; contains mandates,
22% requirements, and protections; allows for sharing of confidential case informa-
30% 0-5 6% child witness to crime tion.
CACs Facilitate Healing & Justice
13-17
96%
3% other Texas Family Code Section 261.3126: promotes co-location of DFPS and of MDT members reported that the CAC MDT approach results
local law enforcement investigators at CACs, where feasible. in more collaborative and efficient case investigations.1
3% neglect
47%
93%
of caregivers felt that the CAC facilitated healing for their child
6-12
2% sexual and physical abuse and for themselves.2
1 CACTX Outcome Measurement System, 1,235 surveys were collected from MDT members in FY 16.

1% fatality 2 CACTX Outcome Measurement System, 6,643 surveys were collected from caregivers of child victims receiving services at a
CAC in FY 16.

3 Darkness to Light, Estimating a Child Sexual Abuse Prevalence Rate for Practitioners: A Review of Child Sexual Abuse Prevalence Our Texas CAC network brings together over 1,000 dedicated CAC staff
Studies by C. Townsend and A.A. Rheingold (2013).
members, every Child Protective Services region in the state, Child Care
4 Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Study; http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/acestudy/. Licensing, Adult Protective Services, 1,000 law enforcement jurisdictions, more
than 200 district and county attorneys, and countless medical and mental health

94%
5 U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, Research in Brief, An Update on the Cycle of Violence by Cathy S.
Widom and Michael G. Maxfield (2001).
professionals. While 97 percent of Texas counties are touched by one of our 70
6 National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice, Research and Program Brief, Trauma Among Youth in the Juvenile programs, the challenge remains to not only reach all 254 counties, but to ensure
Justice System: Critical Issues and New Directions by Julian D. Ford, John F. Chapman, Josephine Hawke, and David Albert
of child victims (2007). each has access to the full array of vital CAC services.
KNEW their 7 National Childrens Advocacy Center, Cost-Benefit Analysis of Community Responses to Child Maltreatment by Amy L. Shado-

alleged perpetrator.
in, Suzanne N. Magnuson, et al. (2006).
Services Provided in FY16:
32,973 children forensically interviewed 26,597 cases
18%
CACTX-B1-01/2017 were reviewed by the
MDT (facilitated by the
6,270 children
exams
received medical CAC)
of alleged 1501 West Anderson Lane Bldg. B-1
151,438 DFPS reports of abuse and
perpetrators were Austin, Texas 78757 18,151 children
services
received mental health neglect were reviewed
juveniles. P 512-258-9920 F 512-258-9926
Every Child. Every Service. Every Effort. 31,260 families received family
www.cactx.org 8,187 adults received mental health
services (usually non-offending)
advocacy services
WHY CACS MATTER HOW THE CAC MODEL WORKS MDT ENHANCEMENT
PROGRAM

1 in Children will 18th LOCAL LAW

CAC
DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY The CAC Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)

10
& PROTECTIVE SERVICES
BIRTH
ENFORCEMENT is the cornerstone of the CAC model.
be sexually Child Protective Services, Child Care Licensing, Adult Protective Services

DAY 2014
abused SHARED WITH CAC SHARED WITH CAC
Call Hotline
Launched in 2014, the MDT Enhancement
before their Call 911 to Report
to Report
Program refocused Texas CACs on the
importance of the multidisciplinary response
3 Child Abuse SHARED WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT
by strengthening CAC MDTs statewide
Child Abuse
SHARED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY & PROTECTIVE SERVICES to promote better joint investigations of
abuse and ultimately better outcomes for
Adverse Childhood Experiences Study4 children and families.
Multidisciplinary Team
2015
Without early intervention, Assess Criminal Assess Child Safety
Elements & Evidence Communication, Case Management, Collaboration and Risk In 2015, the Texas Legislature boosted the
Children who have experienced trauma are more likely to
engage in: Early initiation of smoking, sexual activity, illicit effectiveness of the CAC MDT Enhancement
drug use, adolescent pregnancies, suicide. Program by funding its statewide expansion.
Case Referred to With access to all notifications of reported
Investigation
OR District/County
Children with multiple traumas have significantly higher rates closed Attorney Joint child abuse referred to law enforcement
Medical Forensic Protective Caregiver Case Closed
of: Heart disease, chronic pulmonary lung disease, hepatitis, Assessment Interview
Investigation
through the Department of Family Protective
depression, diabetes. Coordination
Services Statewide Intake, CACs can now
Case Declined OR
Case Presented
to Grand Jury
OR coordinate joint investigations of child

According to the National Institute of Justice5

CAC Facilitates Services Assigned to Family-Based
abuse earlier in the process and provide
critical services faster.
Safety Services

2016
abused and neglected children are:
Family Trauma-
As a result, the number of children
59% 28%
Case No Billed OR Case Indicted Multidisciplinary
more likely to be arrested more likely to be Advocacy and Focused
Case Review
for juvenile crime. arrested as an adult. Support Therapy OR
receiving critically important CAC services
and whose abuse cases benefited from the
Criminal Prosecution Plea or Trial
Child Placed in Foster Care MDTs coordinated investigations jumped
The National Center for Mental Health and 15% in FY 2016.
Juvenile Justice6 estimates: Justice and Healing Facilitated for
93% ofevents,
youth in detention reported exposure to adverse Children and Families GOALS OF THE MDT
including physical and sexual abuse.
ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
National research indicates:

36% higher average cost per case to investigate child abuse

versus non-CAC investigations.7
Proactively
strengthen and
sustain CAC
Multidisciplinary Teams

60
Fortify overall MDT components
counties remain outside within CACs to ensure effective
communication, coordination and
the official CAC services collaboration at all stages of child abuse cases.
OUT OF

254
area, leaving Texas
children without the full Ensure timely access to the full array of MDT/CAC services
services of a CAC. for all children with a CACs official service area and existing
protocol case criteria.