FIRST VISIT
At Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County, we are committed to helping your family during this difficult time. We hope this information will help you understand the roles of the various agencies involved in your child’s case and the services available to assist you and your family.
Our Locations
We offer services at two locations in Collin County. You will be given the location of your appointment by CPS and/or law enforcement.
What happens at Children's Advocacy Center of Collin County?
At Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County (CACCC), we are committed to helping your family during this time.
We work with a team of professionals in our building including law enforcement, the Department of Family and Protective Services,
forensic interviewers, therapists, family advocates, and child engagement specialists.
At Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County, we are committed to helping your family during this difficult time. We hope this information will help you understand the roles of the various agencies involved in your child’s case and the services available to assist you and your family.
When you arrive
When you arrive at your center for your scheduled appointment, you will tell the receptionist you are here for a forensic interview. The receptionist will have everyone sign in and give you a visitor’s badge.
The receptionist will have you sit in the waiting room and a family advocate and child engagement specialist will come to greet you and bring you to a private meeting space.
The child engagement specialists will help your child feel comfortable before they speak with a forensic interviewer. Your child will get to meet the person who will be interviewing them and learn some fun facts about the interviewer. They will also get to see the room where the interview will take place, and have a chance to ask any questions they may have.
We want to ensure your child feels safe and that they are informed of the process. The family advocate will meet with you while your child is in their forensic interview to help answer your questions and inform you of the services we offer.
What do I tell my child about my appointment?
We understand that explaining to your child what a child advocacy center is can seem overwhelming. You know your child best, so we encourage you to speak to them at their level of understanding and to be honest.
For younger children, we recommend saying:
We are going to a special place where kids go to talk about important things. The person who you will talk to you speaks to kids every day about different things. It is okay to tell them everything, and you are not in trouble.
For older children, we recommend saying:
We are going to Children’s Advocacy of Collin County, and we want you to know you are not in any trouble. You will talk to a nice person who is going to listen to you, ask you questions, and get to know you better. You need to be honest and nothing bad is going to happen to you for telling the truth. It is okay to be nervous. There are people at the center who will help you.
Dos:
Tell the child about their appointment.
Tell the child to tell the truth.
Reassure the child that you will be there to support them no matter what happens and that they are not in trouble.
Don'ts:
Discuss the investigation in the child’s presence.
Tell the child they are going to a doctor’s visit.
Offer the child a bribe for telling the truth about what happened.
Practice what they will say.
The goal of a forensic interview is to collect vital information from a child in a neutral, non-leading way to be utilized during a child abuse investigation.
Who will my child talk to?
Your child will be talking to one of our specially trained forensic interviewers. Forensic interviewers work for our center and are skilled in talking to children and teenagers by asking non-leading, open-ended, fact-finding questions. Our interviews take place in a room equipped with comfortable chairs, recording equipment, and digital boards.
It is important that your child feels comfortable, so if your child needs a break, drink, or bathroom break during the interview, they will be provided with those things.
Will I be able to watch my child’s interview?
Only professionals who are directly involved with the investigation observe the forensic interview from another room. This provides for the most neutral setting for the child to be able to speak openly. Professionals involved may include official members of our multi-disciplinary team. The professional team members observing the interview are responsible for observing, assessing, and investigating the allegations.
All forensic interviews are recorded so that the child is limiting the number of times he/she must talk about the allegations. The recording is only released to law enforcement, the Department of Family and Protective Services, and/or prosecuting attorneys, if requested. To ensure confidentiality, the recording is not released to anyone else without a court order.
It can be difficult for children to talk about things they have experienced and difficult for parents to hear. Having a parent in the room may distract or inhibit the child during the interview. Children may also want the parent to answer the questions for them, if they are present in the forensic interview.
How long will my appointment be?
Every appointment is different; however, you should plan for 2 hours. We will provide you with a school and work excuse note.
What happens after my child’s forensic interview?
Once the interview is complete, you will speak with the detective and/or CPS worker (if applicable) to discuss the status of the case. They will tell you in general terms what they learned from the interview, and you will have the opportunity to ask questions.
