CARES earns National Children’s Alliance reaccreditation

Sky Lakes Medical Center’s Child Abuse Response and Evaluation Services (CARES) has earned reaccreditation from the National Children’s Alliance, the Alliance board announced Thursday, January 14.

The reaccreditation without conditions followed interviews and an extensive review of the CARES staff compliance with national standards.

“The reaccreditation means CARES patients receive consistent, evidence-based services that help them heal from abuse,” said CARES Director Ken Morton. “It also shows that CARES staff adhere to the rigorous processes required to meet or exceed the national standards.”

Ten individual standards comprise the National Standards of Accreditation for Children’s Advocacy Centers and represent the work of more than 130 child abuse intervention professionals and experts working from the latest research.

CARES provides a medical safe haven for those affected by child abuse in the four-county area served by Sky Lakes Medical Center. CARES staff provide a compassionate environment for analyzing possible cases of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect. CARES also offers treatment recommendations and referral services to victims of abuse and works with community partners including the Oregon Department of Human Resources, law enforcement, and the district attorney’s office to track every case of diagnosed abuse.

The National Children’s Alliance mission is to advocate for eradicating abuse and to give its member agencies a national voice aimed at keeping children safe. Featuring the largest network of care centers supporting child abuse victims in the country, NCA is a model in outcome-driven collaboration.