Welcome to Children's Response Center

• Information about the criminal justice system (adult and juvenile) including assistance with needed follow-up.
  
  
• Age appropriate information for your child about the legal process.
  
  
• Support and accompaniment at interviews, trial and sentencing.
  
  
• Assistance in court preparation and informing victims of their rights in legal settings.
  
  
• Monitoring of the case through the legal system.
  
  
• Information about civil remedies.
  
  
• Advocating for what victims and their families want to see happen in the legal process.
  
  
• Acting as a liaison between victims and their families and the criminal justice system.
  
  

• The needs of abuse victims and witnesses are recognized in the Child Victims and Child Witnesses Bill of Rights Children have the right to:
  
  
• Have explained in language easily understood by the child, all legal proceedings and/or police investigations in which the child may be involved.
  
  
• Be provided, whenever possible, with a secure waiting area during court proceedings, and to have an advocate or support person remain with the child prior to and during any court proceedings. Presently, only advocates from advocacy programs may attend interviews with child victims.
  
  
• Not have the names, addresses or photographs of the living child victim or witness disclosed by any law enforcement agency, prosecutor’s office or state agency without the permission of the child victim, child witness, parents or legal guardians to anyone except another law enforcement agency, prosecutor, defense counsel or private governmental agency that provides services to the child victims or witness.
  
  
• Allow an advocate to make recommendations to the prosecuting attorney about the ability of thte child to cooperate with prosecution and the potential effect of the proceedings on the child.
  
  
• Allow an advocate to provide information to the court concerning the child’s ability to understand the nature of the court proceedings.
  
  
• Be provided with information or appropriate referrals to social service agencies to assist the child and/or the child’s family with the emotional impact of the crime, the subsequent investigation and the judicial proceedings in which the child is involved.
  
  
• Allow an advocate to be present in the court while the child testifies in order to provide emotional support to the child.
  
  
• Provide information to the court as to the need for the presence of other supportive persons at the court proceedings while the child testifies in order to promote the child’s feelings of security and safety.
  
  
• Allow law enforcement agencies the opportunity to enlist the assistance of other professional personnel such as child protection services, victim advocates or prosecutorial staff trained in the interviewing of the child victim.