PASCO KIDS FIRST EARNS RE-ACCREDITATION FROM NATIONAL CHILDREN’S ALLIANCE

National Children’s Alliance recognizes Pasco Kids First for its ongoing delivery of high quality and effective services to child abuse victims through accreditation

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL (April 6, 2020) – Pasco Kids First has been awarded re-accreditation by National Children’s Alliance following an extensive application and site review process. As the accrediting agency for Children’s Advocacy Centers (CAC) across the country, National Children’s Alliance awards various levels of accreditation and membership to centers responding to allegations of child abuse in ways that are effective and efficient, and put the needs of child victims of abuse first. Accreditation is the highest level of membership with National Children’s Alliance and denotes excellence in service provision.

Accredited CACs must undergo a re-accreditation process every five years to ensure that best practices are continually being applied. With accreditation standards being updated in 2017, re-accreditation this year reflects Pasco Kids First’s commitment to providing evidence-based methods practice.

Pasco Kids First was established in 1989 with the mission to assist in the protection of children from the devastating effects of child abuse and neglect providing services for 30 years to children and families. In 2019, Pasco County had more than 7,500 child abuse reports and Pasco Kids First’s Children’s Advocacy Center served 1,264 children with 593 medical exams, 3,425 therapy sessions, 723 forensic/specialized interviews and 6,529 case management hours. As an Accredited Member of National Children’s Alliance, Pasco Kids First is dedicated to providing comprehensive, coordinated and compassionate services to victims of child abuse.

National Children’s Alliance awards Accredited Membership based on a CAC’s compliance with 10 national standards of accreditation to ensure effective, efficient and consistent delivery of services to child abuse victims. Accredited Members must utilize a functioning and effective Multidisciplinary Team approach to work collaboratively in child abuse investigation, prosecution, and treatment. National Children’s Alliance also considers standards regarding a center’s cultural competency and diversity, forensic interviews, victim support and advocacy, medical evaluation, therapeutic intervention, and child focused setting.

“As an organization/team of individuals dedicated to responding to child abuse, we recognize the importance of maintaining our accreditation status from the National Children’s Alliance. Re-accreditation not only validates our organization’s dedication to proven effective approaches of child abuse intervention and prevention, but also contributes to consistency across the child advocacy center movement as a whole,” said Rob Wolf, President & CEO of Pasco Kids First.

Pasco Kids First is to be commended for its continued commitment to effectively serve victims of child abuse. As the national association and accrediting body for Children’s Advocacy Centers across the country, our goal is to ensure that every victim of child abuse has access to high quality services that result from professional collaboration. By requiring Accredited Centers to undergo re-Accreditation every five years, we ensure that evidence-based practices are being implemented and the highest quality of service is being provided,” remarked Teresa Huizar, Executive Director of National Children’s Alliance.

For more information about Pasco Kids First, visit www.pascokidsfirst.org.


Pasco Kids First is Pasco County’s Children’s Advocacy Center. The mission is to keep kids safe, strengthen families through empowerment and enhance our community by prevention child abuse and healing children from trauma. Pasco Kids First provides prevention, assessment and treatment programs including the Healthy Families Pasco-Hernando Program, Child Protection Team, Trauma Treatment Program, Sexual Assault Victims Exams and Oral Health Navigation Program.

National Children’s Alliance is the national association and accrediting body for the 777 Children’s Advocacy Centers and 49 State Chapters serving each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Dedicated to helping local communities respond to allegations of child abuse in ways that are effective and efficient, and put the needs of child victims of abuse first, National Children’s Alliance provides support and advocacy to its accredited membership, as well as numerous developing centers, multidisciplinary teams and child abuse professionals around the country, and the world. As the national authority on multidisciplinary approaches to supporting child victims of abuse, the purpose of National Children’s Alliance is to empower local communities to provide comprehensive, coordinated and compassionate services to victims of child abuse. Founded in 1990, National Children’s Alliance provides accreditation opportunities, financial assistance, training, technical assistance, research and education to communities, child abuse professionals and children’s advocacy centers throughout the United States in support of child abuse intervention, advocacy and prevention