Our Mission, Vision, and Values
Our Mission
The Texarkana Children’s Advocacy Center’s (TCAC) mission is to unite multi-disciplinary team members and community partners to ensure hope, healing, and justice for child abuse victims and their families.
Our Vision
Our Values
1. Authenticity: Being genuine and real with our community and the children and families we serve
2. Collaboration: Working jointly with each other and partner agencies to reach a common goal
3. Integrity: Being ethical and honorable even when no one is looking
4. Compassion: Demonstrating care and concern for the well-being of others
We envision a community empowered and equipped to protect children.
Our Model
When police or child protective services believe a child may be experiencing abuse, the child is brought to the CAC—a safe, child-focused environment—by a caregiver or other “safe” adult. At the CAC, the child tells their story once to a trained interviewer who knows the right questions to ask in a way that does not retraumatize the child. Then, a team that includes medical professionals, law enforcement, mental health, prosecution, child protective services, victim advocacy, and other professionals make decisions together about how to help the child based on the interview. CACs offer therapy and medical exams, plus courtroom preparation, victim advocacy, case management, and other services. This is called the multidisciplinary team (MDT) response and is a core part of the work of CACs.
Authenticity
Collaboration
Integrity
Compassion