Hoops Family Children’s Hospital Child Advocacy Center awarded reaccreditation by National Children’s Alliance

The Marshall Health Network-Hoops Family Children’s Hospital Child Advocacy Center (CAC) has received reaccreditation from the National Children’s Alliance (NCA), a not-for-profit membership and accrediting organization of more than 950 Child Advocacy Centers nationwide.

This accreditation confirms that the CAC continues to meet the highest standards for evidence-based, multidisciplinary response to child abuse. Accreditation by the NCA is the highest level of membership and reflects a commitment to ongoing quality improvement, best practices, and providing comprehensive, compassionate care for vulnerable children.

“Recertification by the National Children’s Alliance is a strong affirmation of the incredible work our team does every day,” said Angela Seay, CAC coordinator. “It means that families in our region can count on a trauma-informed, coordinated response that puts children’s safety and healing first.”

The CAC is a safe, child-friendly place that brings together a team of professionals, including law enforcement, child protective services, prosecutors, medical and mental health providers, and victim advocates, to work collaboratively in investigating child abuse cases while minimizing additional trauma to the child. A child is interviewed once by a trained interviewer, which alleviates the need for the child to tell their traumatic story multiple times to multiple people and agencies. Then, based on the interview, the team of professionals decides how to best help the child with services including therapy, courtroom preparation, victim advocacy, and medical exams.

To receive NCA accreditation, centers must demonstrate adherence to ten nationally recognized standards, which are updated every five years to reflect the latest evidence and practice.

The CAC at Hoops is the only hospital-based CAC in the region and recently expanded into Mason County. In 2024, 285 children who were victims of alleged sexual or physical child abuse were served by the center.

For more information about the Child Advocacy Center or its services, please visit https://hoopschildrens.org/facilities-programs/child-advocacy-center.