Mission: 
Hope house is a facility that provides a warm, home-like environment for the children who are brought here for the interview process upon making an outcry of abuse or neglect. At Hope House, primary emphasis is placed on the safety and well being of the child in order to prevent further trauma of suffering and to maintain a minimal number of interviews so that re-victimization of the child does not occur. The center enhances the quality of the community's response to child abuse by establishing clear guidelines with intervention validity as its primary concern.  

History:
Our country has experienced an increase in the reporting of incidents of child abuse and neglect; a trend that has been seen worldwide. In responding to these reports, numerous problems have been encountered, including excessive interviews of child victims, development of physical evidence and lack of communication among involved agencies. Having recognized these problems, Tom Green County developed a cooperative team approach to the investigation of child abuse and neglect. Children are referred to Hope House for interviews by Child Protective Services or law enforcement following allegations of abuse. The first child was interviewed at Hope House in November 1992.  In 2006 alone, Hope House served 272 children. 

The Hope House staff work with representatives from Child Protective Services, the police department, the sheriff's office, the district attorney's office, medical personnel, therapists and other community service agencies to comprise a team of experts designed to serve as an ally of abused and neglected children. Together, they make up the multi-disciplinary team of Hope House. 

Their goal is to:

• Minimize each child's trauma,
• Ensure proper investigation of cases 
• Povide immediate and long-term treatment and services through community referrals
• Ensure that court preparation and accompaniment are provided
• Ensure justice advocacy and sexual assault exams when necessar
  
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NOTE:  To ensure the safety of the children we serve and that of our volunteers, The Children's Advocacy Center of Tom Green County, Inc. will perform a felony, sex offender and CPS background check on all individuals who sign up to volunteer for any of our activities or events that will be attended by the children we serve.