Vantage Point Child Advocacy Center was established in 2000 by Family Services to provide a child and family-friendly facility to those impacted by child maltreatment. Prior to the establishment of the Center, children suffering from maltreatment had to recount and relive their ordeals several times. The Center developed an intervention system consisting of multiple community agencies involved in the prevention, investigation, prosecution and treatment of child victims and their families working cooperatively to minimize further trauma, enhance the legal system, promote appropriate therapeutic interventions for the child and non-offending family members and follow the family through the period of investigation and therapy.

Services for Children & Family Members

	Forensic "Interviews - an interview with the child by a counselor to obtain information relevant to the child's case is gathered
	Child Trauma Assessments
	Supportive Services and Advocacy
	Multidisciplinary Staffing
	Referrals

	Provide appropriate care to child maltreatment victims in a child-friendly atmosphere.
	Support victims and non-offending family members by facilitating access to a continuum of treatment services beyond the initial evaluation.
	Reduce the number of interviewers a child is exposed to, thus reducing trauma, as well as eliminating duplication of effort.
	Facilitate agency collaboration by facilitating a multidisciplinary team that consists of all organizations with an interest in child maltreatment cases.
	Enhance the legal process by providing solid forensic interviews and ensuring the integrity of potential evidence, which can facilitate an increased rate of successful prosecution of perpetrators.
	Enhance the legal process by providing solid forensic interviews and ensuring the integrity of potential evidence, which can facilitate an increased rate of successful prosecution of perpetrators.
	Improve communication with clients and between professionals throughout periods of investigation, prosecution and therapy.
	Develop an organizational/management structure that will ensure ongoing success and growth of the children's advocacy center.
	Maintain a central repository of child maltreatment statistics for Forsyth County.

	A child-friendly, safe space that assist the child in sharing what has happened.
	We work with the legal system to help the child.
	Assistance to you in understanding the child protective and legal system.
	Supportive services that will assist your child and family in healing.
	Information on other community resources you may need to assist your family.

	Be calm and reasuring to your child. Don't coach your child on what to say. It is important for the story to come out in your hcild's words and in your child's own time.
	When you are asked for information, try to provide as many facts as you can and let the professionals decide what is needed - don't withhold information. Don't try to guess if you don't know the answer to a question, it is much better to say you don't know.
	On the other hand, your feelings are important. Feelings are valuable in giving investigators insight, so tell us how you feel and why you feel that way.
	Always be honest, even though the truth may not seem favorable to yourself or others.
	Try not to overreact. It is a difficult itme and emotions run high. Losing control can hurt the case and overshadow the needs of the innocent victim, your child.
	Love, support and protect your child at all costs. If the alleged offender is a significant person to you, it can be very difficult to balance your feelings for them with the need to protect your child. Remember that your child has only you to make healthy, protective decisions.
	Cooperate. You will probably feel as if investigators are prying into your personal life, but this is necessary and vital to the case and your child's welfare.
	You may feel that investigators do not care because they avoid showing emotions. In fact, investigators do care, and part of that caring involves remaining objective and calm in the face of extremely emotional situations.