The Children’s Assessment Center of Berrien County (CAC) is a program whose purpose is to facilitate and coordinate the work of organizations responsible for the investigation of child sexual abuse.
	We seek to reduce the trauma of these investigations and to compassionately meet the needs of sexually abused children. Our program serves Berrien County children between the ages of 2 and 18.
	Our facility is located on Niles Road in south St. Joseph, here we are able to offer on-site forensic interviews.
One Childs Journey	A forensic interview is a neutral, non-leading interview of a child regarding an allegation of abuse. We have a child-oriented, neutral location where victims of sexual abuse can tell their account to a specially trained interviewer in a child-friendly environment. The interview is observed through a one-way mirror by investigators from law enforcement, human services, and the prosecuting attorney’s office, and each interview is recorded. A coordinated investigation means that a child is not repeatedly interviewed about their abuse.
	In addition, the CAC offers crisis counseling and on-going counseling to child victims and their non-offending family members, as well as information and referrals to other services for family members impacted by the abuse.	One Mothers Letter
	The CAC coordinates regular case reviews of each child seen at the Center, bringing together all agencies involved in the investigation of sexual abuse. Each case is tracked throughout the investigation and prosecution process until a final disposition is reached.
	The Children’s Assessment Center of Berrien County is part of a nationwide effort to reduce the trauma of child sexual abuse investigations so that children are not re-victimized by the systems designed to protect them. Our staff is available to speak to your local service group about sexual abuse of children and the CAC program. Contact us at 269-556-9640 for more information about the Children’s Assessment Center of Berrien County.