West Virginia Child Advocacy Network

The West Virginia Child Advocacy Network (WVCAN) is a membership organization dedicated to helping local communities respond to allegations of child abuse in ways that are effective and efficient – and put the needs of child victims first.  WVCAN provides training, support, technical assistance and leadership on a statewide level to local children’s and child advocacy centers (CACs) and communities throughout West Virginia responding to reports of child abuse and neglect.  

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 abuse  cases.

WVCAN 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. 

WVCAN is a state chapter of the National Children's Alliance.

CAC development in West Virginia began around 1999. Following a series of meetings with National Children’s Alliance staff and interested WV parties, the WVCAN was born in 2003. Its mission is to support the development, growth and continuation of CACs and multidisciplinary teams, so that WV communities can better serve children and families when concerns of child abuse arise. To further its mission, WVCAN began obtaining small grants from various funding sources. In 2006 WVCAN was incorporated, two CACs were accredited, and WVCAN received Chapter status with NCA. The group also passed its first legislative agenda, which defined CACs in the WV Code and made CACs a mandatory member of MDTs. The group's second legislative agenda resulted in a State line item of $1 million to support CACs in the state. This money, combined with other grants, allowed the Chapter to hire its first Coordinator in May 2008. WVCAN continues to develop, adding more staff and resources to support the development of CACs.

 

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