At MRCAC, our vision is that all kids and all families will have access to a strong team of highly qualified professionals for the response to and healing from child abuse. In order to accomplish this vision, we strongly believe that the systems and structures that govern and support Children’s Advocacy Centers must be rooted in the value of equity and that the professionals in our field must represent the diversity we see in our clients. In 2019, we launched an Equity Council with partners and experts in order to communally pursue the following objectives:
- Assess systems, structures, policies, and protocols that contribute to the inequitable service delivery for the referral, investigation, and treatment of children impacted by trauma
- Collect information on levels of diversity and inclusion among Children’s Advocacy Center professionals and multidisciplinary partners, and provide recommendations to help build more inclusive environments
- Co-created education, awareness, and quality improvement opportunities to increase understanding around implicit bias and disparities that focus on systems accountability and fostering a culture of equity at Children’s Advocacy Centers across the country