9:6-8.107 Findings, declarations relative to child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams.

1. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. Child advocacy centers are child-friendly centers where a multidisciplinary team of law enforcement, child protective services, prosecutors, mental health and medical professionals, and victim witness and family advocates can provide a coordinated response to the investigation, treatment, prosecution, and prevention of child abuse and neglect.

b. Child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams are designed to ease the stress experienced by survivors of child abuse and neglect, and their families, throughout the investigation process and improve methods of responding to acts of child abuse and neglect.

c. Child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams reduce the trauma suffered by children who have been abused or neglected by employing forensic interviewers specifically trained to work with survivors of child abuse and neglect.

d. The centers and teams also assist child abuse and neglect survivors and their families in obtaining judicial, medical, therapeutic, and victim advocacy services, and enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement, prosecutors, and child protective services professionals when investigating child abuse and neglect.

e. The number of child advocacy centers in the United States has grown dramatically since 1986 when the first center was established. According to the National Children's Alliance, the national accrediting organization for child advocacy centers, there are now more than 770 centers nationwide, and, as of 2009, there were over 900 multidisciplinary teams throughout the United States.

f. In order to ensure the effective, efficient, and consistent delivery of services to the survivors of child abuse and neglect and their families, it is necessary to establish a certification program for the State's child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams.

g. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to create a certification program for the State's child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams through the adoption and implementation of guidelines of practice consistent with the accreditation standards developed by the National Children's Alliance, or its successor.

L.2017, c.90, s.1.