Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 906

Tonight's special guest is Maria Vinci-Savettiere, Exec Dir at Dierdre's House, the Center in Morris County for child victims of abuse and/or neglect and for children that have witnessed family violence. Established in 1994, Deirdre's House is the only site in Morris County where a child victim can be interviewed and digitally recorded by law enforcement, medically examined and treated by a pediatric abuse specialist, prepared for trial, and clinically counseled in English or Spanish----all under one roof. As a nationally accredited Child Advocacy Center (CAC), Deirdre's House provides a comprehensive multidisciplinary team response to allegations of child abuse in a dedicated, safe, secure, child focused setting. As Executive Director of Deirdre's House, Maria Vinci-Savettiere, Esq, has combined her legal knowledge and business acumen to expand and improve the programs offered to child victims, increase cooperation among agencies and organizations utilizing the facilities, and bring Deirdre's House back to financial stability. The National Children’s Advocacy Center website lists CACs across the country. Since 1985, it has revolutionized our nation’s response to child sexual abuse. More than 54,000 child abuse professionals have been trained by the NCAC. The social service and the criminal justice systems don't always work together in an effective manner that the children can trust. This common problem adds to children's emotional distress, and cause a segmented, repetitious, and often frightening experience for the child victims. The child advocacy center model pulls together law enforcement, criminal justice, child protective service, medical and mental health workers onto one coordinated team.