The Alexandria Clothing for Children

Programs: Intervention - the organization leads and coordinates the children's advocacy center (cac) program, and the work of alexandria's multidisciplinary team (mdt) responsible for the coordination, comprehensiveness, and effectiveness of investigations, prosecutions, and treatment services for children and families affected by abuse and neglect. The organization is a full nationally accredited cac, since 2011. Operating through a memorandum of understanding, the organization provides forensic interviewing and forensic evaluation services; a child-friendly facility for forensic interviewing of children; comprehensive case tracking and review; victim support through the clothing closet and emergency victim's crisis fund; and facilitates critical case coordination and specialized referrals for identified child victims of abuse.

prevention - the organization provides a citywide playgroup program - learn & playgroups , providing developmentally appropriate play-based experiences for children 0-5 and building resiliency for high-risk families who lack access to affordable, quality child development activities and needed parenting support. The program is a strength- and evidence-based model that is founded upon current research in the fields of early childhood development, education, and policy and also upon grassroots needs assessment for alexandria, serving as a critical link in a continuum of early childhood and abuse prevention services in the city and providing a turnkey replicable program.

community education - the organization stimulates community education/outreach efforts focused on child abuse intervention and prevention and promotes community awareness, education and best practices to protect and strengthen vulnerable children and their families. To protect every alexandria child from sexual abuse, we are training adults, especially those involved in child-serving organizations, about how they can prevent this crime. The center leverages its relationships with its public and non-profit partners serving children and families to deliver these programs, and also works with our partners at various community events to provide digital identification kits and share information about child safety, child protection and parenting. Our facility in the under-served west end is also available to agencies and organizations for activities such as parenting classes and therapeutic groups, meetings, and workshops.