Key highlights
- Thirty-five out of 51 Child Advocacy Centres (CACs)/Child and Youth Advocacy Centres (CYACs) participated in the 2022–2023 CAC/CYAC National Operational Survey, representing 69% of all CACs/CYACs in Canada.
- Of the 35 centres that responded to the survey, 28 were operational, five were in development and two were conducting a feasibility study or a needs assessment.
- In 2021/2022, 10,665 child and youth victims were served by CACs/CYACs. Among those served, about seven in 10 were girls.
- Indigenous clients and 2SLGBTQI+ clients were served by almost all operational CACs/CYACs in their last fiscal year reported.
- All operational CACs/CYACs reported that they serve clients aged three to 15 years, although some centres serve clients younger than three and/or older than 15.
- Over seven thousand (7,436) child and youth victims of sexual abuse and 2,913 victims of physical abuse were served by a CAC/CYAC in their last fiscal year reported.
- Many service providers made up a CAC/CYAC’s Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT); the most common types reported were child protection workers, law enforcement officers, advocates, victim service workers, and other CAC/CYAC staff.
- Twenty-four out of 35 CACs/CYACs indicated they had information-sharing protocols or Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) in place with MDT partners.
- At the time of the survey, three-quarters of operational CACs/CYACs conducted case reviews, most commonly on a monthly or as needed basis.
- Over three-quarters of CACs/CYACs reported having a case tracking system in place, and five centres indicated that a case tracking system was in development.
- The most common services offered by CACs/CYACs were forensic interviews, mental health services, and victim and family support and advocacy.
- Twenty-five out of 28 CACs/CYACs reported the number of forensic interviews that were conducted in their last fiscal year. A total of 10,264 forensic interviews were provided, of which 82% were conducted on-site and 18% off-site.
- Almost half of CACs/CYACs (13/28) indicated that they had at least one support dog, most commonly a facility dog trained to provide specific services and behaviours that suit the needs of the CAC/CYAC.
- Most CACs/CYACs provided some type of educational service, most commonly webinars, presentations and workshops.
- Eleven CACs/CYACs reported having the ability to offer remote testimony at their centre, with 11 in the process of developing or considering offering remote testimony at the time of the survey.
- In their last fiscal year, the most common training taken by CAC/CYAC staff focused on trauma-informed practices, mental health, diversity and inclusion, and child abuse.
- Most CACs/CYACs reported conducting research, and one-third indicated that they participated in research conducted by other organizations.
- Over half of CACs/CYACs indicated that they had undergone or were in the process of undergoing an evaluation at the time of the survey.
- Most CACs/CYACs received a portion of funding from federal and provincial/territorial grants, the private sector or donors. Despite these funds and grants, over half of CACs/CYACs reported challenges with securing sustainable funding to cover operating costs, such as their personnel and facilities.
- CACs/CYACs reported that their biggest successes involved their relationships with MDT partners as well as the use of the CAC/CYAC model, both of which help to effectively support children, youth and their families.
- Date modified: