This episode of the Nonprofit Report features Chris Newlin, CEO of the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC), and Allie Tucker, Board Member of NCAC. The conversation explores NCAC’s mission to strengthen the global response to child abuse and the importance of bringing law enforcement, child protective services, prosecutors, medical professionals, mental health professionals, and other partners together to support children.
Interview by: Mark Oppenheim
Guests:
- Chris Newlin, MS LPC, Chief Executive Officer of National Children’s Advocacy Center
- Allie Tucker, Board Member of National Children’s Advocacy Center
Key Points
- NCAC works to champion and strengthen the global response to child abuse.
- The Child Advocacy Center model brings multiple professionals together to provide a coordinated response centered on children’s well-being.
- Creating a child-friendly and psychologically safe environment is an important part of the model.
- Collaboration among professionals and organizations helps reduce additional trauma for children and improves the overall response to abuse.
- NCAC shares its training, expertise, and model with communities around the United States and internationally, adapting the approach to local cultural needs.
Other Points on the National Children’s Advocacy Center
A central theme of the discussion was the need to put children’s well-being at the center of the response to abuse. Chris Newlin explained that child abuse involves criminal justice, medical, mental health, and child protection concerns, making collaboration among multiple disciplines essential. The Child Advocacy Center model was developed around the idea that no single agency can address all of these needs alone.
The NCAC emphasizes creating an environment where children feel safe and supported. Its child-friendly setting is designed around children’s developmental needs, with features such as welcoming spaces, multilingual staff, and a facility dog for children who are comfortable around animals. The organization also incorporates feedback from children who have experienced its services.
Collaboration extends beyond the NCAC’s physical campus and into communities around the world. The organization shares its training and expertise with other Children’s Advocacy Centers while recognizing that successful implementation requires an understanding of local cultures, languages, customs, and circumstances. The underlying principles can be shared broadly while allowing communities to adapt the model to their own needs.
The conversation also emphasized the importance of hope and long-term healing. Newlin noted that children who experience abuse can grow into successful adults and shared the story of a former NCAC client who later returned to describe the lasting positive impact the organization had on her life. For both guests, the ultimate goal is to reduce the pain children experience while strengthening the systems and communities that support them.