Child Advocacy Center

Studies show that urban youths exposed to violence in their communities are more likely to suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and are more prone to face medical, mental health, and substance abuse challenges as well as educational and employment limitations as adults. The Child Advocacy Center is implemented in response to the increasing community violence which urban youths face in their homes, schools, and neighborhoods. The program itself is primarily dedicated to child abuse prevention and ultimately aims to create a nurturing community for children to improve their mental and physical health.

The goal of the program is to offer comprehensive child abuse prevention and intervention as well as health care services in a single setting.

Since the launch of their efforts in developing a child advocacy center in San Francisco, the San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center has partnered with numerous groups and professionals dedicated to transforming child abuse prevention and health care services. These partners to date include: the Child and Adolescent Support Advocacy and Resource Center, San Francisco Department of Public Health, Tipping Point Community, San Francisco Mayor and District Attorney's offices, and other notable experts in the children's health field. Currently, the San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center and its partners are in the process of developing a plan for the program and are searching for a location. As of now, the child advocacy and wellness center is set to open in 2012 for children and their families. The prevention-to-intervention approach, borrowing on principles from multiple disciplines, is sure to evolve into a national model of health care for vulnerable youth.