Development Plan
In 2017, the South Carolina Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers (SCNCAC) began a long term Development Plan project to remove barriers to accessing Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) services for children, families, and multidisciplinary team partners across South Carolina. A feasibility study and needs assessment was conducted to guide the growth and development of CACs in South Carolina. The original Development Plan work was supported by 5-year foundation and endowment grants with one of the primary goals being to ensure CAC services were available across South Carolina. The Development Plan was updated in 2025 and is available for viewing near the bottom of this page. As we complete the goals of the original Development Plan, SCNCAC is embarking on a Quality Improvement Project for CAC services in South Carolina to continue to improve the statewide response to child abuse. The initial phase of the Quality Improvement Project will be to develop and test South Carolina CAC accreditation standards that supplement and enhance the national accreditation standards for Children’s Advocacy Centers.
SC Standards Advisory Committee
SCNCAC, in collaboration with the SC Children’s Justice Act Taskforce, formed an advisory committee to provide input into the development of SCNCAC South Carolina Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) accreditation standards that supplement and enhance the national accreditation standards for CACs. Professionals who work in the child abuse response system participated in 15 workgroups aligned with individual standards. SCNCAC used the information obtained from these workgroups to produce the development edition of accreditation standards for South Carolina. These standards are currently in a testing phase with selected CACs in South Carolina.
Development Plan Progress
Our vision is that all of South Carolina’s children will have equal access to Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) services regardless of where they reside in the state. In 2018, SCNCAC received a private foundation grant to conduct a feasibility study and needs assessment to guide the growth and development of CACs in South Carolina. With continued foundation and endowment support an updated needs assessment was completed in March of 2022 and again in 2025. This 2025 updated development plan provides an overview of CAC coverage in South Carolina, updates from the original plan, and recommendations for growth.
NCA Standards for Accredited Members
The SCNCAC Development Plan contains, as an appendix, the National Children’s Alliance (NCA) accreditation standards. The purpose of these standards is to ensure that all children who are served by Children’s Advocacy Centers receive consistent, evidence-based interventions that help them heal.This document comprises the full text of the Standards for Accredited Members, 2023 Edition. The Standards are evidence-supported and evolve over time and require revision as research progresses. This edition is in effect as of January 1, 2023, and is the standard for all CAC new and re-accreditation applications. The Standards are revised every 5 years by the National Children’s Alliance.
*Document Viewing Instructions
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