Child Advocacy Center of Rockingham County

Having worked in the field of Child Protection in Rockingham County for the past 15 years, it is wonderful to see the progression that our practice has taken.  The implementation of the CAC and multidisciplinary team approach has proved to be less intrusive and more effective in working with victims of sexual abuse, severe physical abuse and their families.

Monthly meetings with the multidisciplinary team is a forum for professionals to not only review cases but also to share valuable information about current up-to-date practices and educational components so that no child falls through the cracks.

Jennifer S. Johnson, MSW

Supervisor VI

Division for Children, Youth and Families

I can say that the creation of the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) is the single most significant improvement in child abuse investigations in Rockingham County, ever. Children are naturally very reluctant to discuss a sexual assault with an unknown adult. The CAC allows us to minimize the impact of the investigation upon the child, while securing a comprehensive interview with the child in a safe, child friendly environment. The CAC allows us to get reliable information quickly in order to pursue an investigation when one is warranted.  There have been very few court challenges to the quality of the interviews done by the trained interviewers at the CAC and none of the challenges has been successful.

In addition, the centralization of interviews means that each of the 39 law enforcement agencies of Rockingham County does not have to send their officers to trainings to learn how to forensic interview children. Thus, the CAC saves the law enforcement community and, ultimately, the citizens of Rockingham County money.

James M. Reams

Rockingham County Attorney

 “Tell me now it’s untrue, what did her daddy do? He jacked a little bitty baby the man has got to be insane.”

                                                  “Janie’s Got A Gun”

                                                   Aerosmith

In the lyrical verses, somewhere before the slamming power chords and in-between the intoxicating rhythmic drum beat comes the socially conscious message in a song that continually reminds us of the unbelievable horror a child experiences at the hands of their tormentor. Some people fluff off the message by saying it’s only rock and roll, I don’t, and I am associated with an organization that does not as well.

The Child Advocacy Center of Rockingham County is an organization devoted to protecting children. In the years I have had the pleasure of working with them, I have found the staff to be professional, dedicated, well trained and team oriented towards the goal of assisting law enforcement, children and their families. It is such a comfort to know there is an organization just minutes away that I can reach out to and assist me in investigating the complexity of child sexual assault. Certainly, if “Hell is for Children” The Child Advocacy Center is a comfort zone for kids, light years away from that hell. 

Richard A. Labell

Sexual Assault Investigator