Children's Advocacy Center for North Texas

We empower child abuse victims, their families, and our community through education healing, and justice. Children's Advocacy Center for North Texas coordinates the investigation when there has been an allegation of child abuse, typically physical or sexual abuse, that rises to the level of a criminal offense. We are THE place families come to for healing and justice in Denton and Wise Counties.

Children’s Advocacy Center for North Texas opened its doors in 1997 and since then has served more than 20,000 abused children. In 1985, Alabama Congressman Robert E. “Bud” Cramer, Jr. had an idea to change the lives of child abuse victims across the nation. Cramer’s desire to reduce the number of times a victim had to reshare their story by creating a space where all of that victim’s needs could be met, led to the establishment of over 700 locations across the U.S.

The Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) model originated with Alabama Congressman Robert E. “Bud” Cramer, Jr.

In 1985, while serving as District Attorney, Cramer reached the conclusion that efforts to investigate and prosecute child abuse were often duplicated and inefficient. In a criminal justice system designed around adults, child victims were re-victimized by the system, having to retell their abuse stories to multiple investigators. Criminal cases were weakened by the lack of coordination between agencies.

Congressman Cramer’s vision to create a child-friendly environment where children could receive all the help they need to heal from abuse led to the creation of more than 700 Children’s Advocacy Centers across the country, including 71 in Texas.

Today, children served by a Children’s Advocacy Center are immediately surrounded by a team of caring professionals in an environment designed with children in mind. Instead of describing their abuse to multiple adults, they speak with a trained forensic interviewer in a comfortable environment, and the interview is recorded to minimize the number of times they must retell the details of their trauma.