Children's Justice Act (CJA)

The Children’s Justice Act (CJA) as set out in Section 107 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) is a federal grant for states to develop, establish, and operate programs designed to improve the child-protection system in four primary areas:

1. The handling of child abuse and neglect cases, including cases of child sexual abuse and exploitation, in a manner which limits additional trauma to the child victim;
2. The handling of cases of suspected child abuse and neglect related fatalities;
3. The investigation and prosecution of cases of child abuse and neglect, including child sexual abuse and exploitation; and
4. The handling of cases involving children with disabilities or serious health-related problems who are the victims of abuse and neglect.

The Virginia CJA Program is designed to provide training and support to jurisdictions and professionals in Virginia to enhance the investigation, prosecution and judicial handling of child maltreatment.

Child Abuse Multidisciplinary Teams

A multidisciplinary team (MDT) is a group of professionals with representation from law enforcement, child protective services, prosecution, mental health, medical, victim advocacy and child advocacy center staff (if available) who work collaboratively from the point of report of abuse to assure the most effective coordinated response possible. Interagency collaboration and written protocols are critical for coordinating intervention to reduce potential trauma to children and families and improve services, while preserving and respecting the rights and obligations of each agency to pursue their respective mandates. A protocol is a written inter-agency agreement outlining the method for investigating and prosecuting child abuse cases in a particular locality. Written protocols are preferred because they: establish clear criteria for joint investigation and intervention, survive turnover, deter disagreement, and define and limit the role of each agency. Protocols can be very specific, including a step-by-step process. They can also be more general guidelines. Click here for some general components found in protocols with sample documents. The samples are provided as examples of what some teams have done and are not offered as "models." NO ONE MODEL WORKS FOR ALL LOCALITIES.

Local and regional MDTs receive training and technical assistance from the MDT Stakeholder Group. The Virginia MDT Stakeholder Group is a collaborative partnership between DCJS, CACs of Virginia, the Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS), and the Commonwealth Attorney Services Council that is committed to strengthening and sustaining MDTs throughout the state. They believe that training, resources, and support targeted at MDTs at key points along their developmental pathway have the greatest potential to cultivate effective teams who are best equipped to help children and families impacted by abuse.

Child Advocacy Centers

A Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) is a child-focused, facility-based program in which the MDT works together to conduct interviews and make team decisions about investigation, treatment, management and prosecution of child abuse cases. Some localities in Virginia have MDTs, but not all have CACs. Children's Advocacy Centers of Virginia (CACVA) is the Official Virginia State Chapter of the National Children's Alliance, a national non-profit professional membership organization that supports and accredits children’s advocacy centers and support organizations. CACVA provides support to Virginia communities seeking to improve children services. The National Children’s Alliance provides CACs with Standards for Accredited Members. For more information on Children's Advocacy Centers, contact CACVA or the National Children's Alliance.

CACVA conference link: https://www.cacva.org/event/15th-annual-crimes-against-children-conference/