Child Legal Advocacy

What Is A Child Legal Advocate?

  • As a part of the Multidisciplinary Team response, victim support and advocacy services are provided to all CAC clients and their non-offending caregivers.
  • The Child Legal Advocate will assist children and families in crisis and help them navigate through the many systems involved their investigation.

Will I Get A Legal Advocate? 

  • If your child’s case is picked up by the prosecutor’s office, a Child Legal Advocate may be assigned to your case. Upon receiving a referral from the prosecutor’s office, Partners’ Child Legal Advocate will contact the referred family by telephone.

What To Expect From Your Advocate:

Once assiged to your case, your advocate will:

  • Maintain strict standards of confidentiality.
  • Informs victims of what their rights are.
  • Provide information and education to child and teen victims and families about the legal criminal justice system, courtroom procedures, and prosecutorial timelines.
  • Provide emotional support, safety and comfort to the child/teen victim before, during, and after any legal proceedings, by paying close attention to the individual child’s/teens emotional state and needs.
  • Maintain contact with the victim and family throughout the investigation and prosecution when requested by the family, Prosecutor, or the law enforcement officer.
  • Accompany the child/teen and family to any prosecutorial or defense interviews with the victim, and at any judicial proceedings related to criminal acts committed against the victim.
  • Provide the family with updated information regarding the status of their case, continuances, dispositions, sentencing and inmate status notifications. (including offender release from custody)
  • Connect victims with available resources.
  • Act as a liaison between victims and the prosecutor.