about us

The Wayne County Children’s Advocacy Center, Inc. (WCCAC) is a child-oriented facility, which serves as a centralized location for interviewing and examining children who are victims of sexual abuse. The children are interviewed by specially trained forensic interviewers and medically examined by specially trained medical professionals in a child-friendly environment. The cases are managed by a multidisciplinary task force comprised of those interviewers, county prosecutors, law enforcement officers, mental health workers, victim advocates, medical professionals and clinical staff. Members of the task force team help the child and family cope with the abuse and begin the recovery process.

goals

• To identify child victims who report sexual abuse.
• To reduce the number of multiple interviews for victims of child sexual abuse by doing a forensic interview.
• To increase child safety by conducting forensic interviews and medical examinations.
• To increase the success of prosecution of those who sexually abuse children.
• To support the victim and non-offending family members by offering better coordinated services, such as medical exams, forensic interviews, and victim assistance.

our history

The Wayne County Children’s Advocacy Center, Inc. (WCCAC) opened its doors in June 2004, via a 2004 National Children’s Alliance (NCA) Program Development Grant of $25,559. The WCCAC is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and a full accredited member of the NCA, since 2006.  The center is governed by a 10-member Board of Directors. The WCCAC utilizes two part-time employees and three part-time professional contractors. The employees are the Executive Director and Coordinator of Case Management. The contractors are the Medical Director and two Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners. The center provides service to one county with a 2009 US Census Bureau estimated population of 114,222. The WCCAC MDT is made up of 35 different professionals from across Wayne County. The center provides onsite forensic interviews, medical examinations, and information and referral services. During the last six years, averages of 130 children per year were served by the WCCAC.

Ending Child Sexual Abuse After Disclosure

• A children’s advocacy center is a child-focused, facility-based program in which representatives from many disciplines, including law enforcement, child protection, prosecution, mental health, medical and victim advocacy, child advocacy, work together to conduct interviews and make team decisions about investigation, treatment, management and prosecution of child sex abuse cases.
• The primary goal of all National Children’s Alliance (NCA) children’s advocacy centers is to ensure that children disclosing abuse are not further victimized by the intervention systems design to protect them.
• National Children's Alliance strongly believes that the combined professional wisdom and skill of the multidisciplinary team approach results in a more complete understanding of case issues and the most effective child- and family-focused system response possible.

board of directors roster

our partners

Akron Children’s CARE Center
Bowden and Associates Psychological Services
Catholic Charities Services of Wayne County
Creston Police Department
Dalton Police Department
Doylestown Police Department
Every Woman’s House
Orrville Police Department
Smithville Police Department
The Counseling Center of Wayne and Holmes Counties
The Village Network
Wayne County Children’s Services Board
Wayne County Court House
Wayne County Health Department
Wayne County Juvenile Court
Wayne County Prosecutors Office
Wayne County Sheriffs Department
Wayne County Victim Witness Assistance Program
Wooster Community Hospital
Wooster Police Department
Your Human Resource Center